Reading passage

Social Loafing in Psychology

Social loafing is a phenomenon in psychology where individuals exert less effort when working collectively in a group than when working individually. This concept highlights the tendency for people to slack off or reduce their input in group settings due to diffusion of responsibility or a perceived decrease in personal accountability.

Listening transcript

Professor's Lecture on Social Loafing

Today, we are discussing social loafing, a fascinating concept in psychology. Imagine a group project where some members contribute minimally, relying on others to carry the workload. For instance, in a study on tug-of-war, participants pulled less hard when in a group compared to when alone. Another example is the 'free-rider' problem in economics, where individuals benefit from a public good without contributing.

Speaking task instruction

Explain the concept of social loafing from the reading passage and use the professor’s examples to show how it works. Preparation time: 30 seconds, Response time: 60 seconds.

Sample student response

Sample Student Response

Social loafing, as discussed in psychology, refers to individuals exerting less effort when working in a group. This is evident in scenarios like the tug-of-war study where participants pulled less hard in a group setting. Moreover, the 'free-rider' problem in economics exemplifies individuals benefiting without contributing. Both examples showcase how social loafing influences group dynamics negatively by reducing individual effort and engagement.