Question

A group of 20 students was asked to complete the task of decorating the classroom boards. However, it was brought to the notice of the teacher that not everyone was participating and putting in effort. Identify and explain the phenomenon being described above and give reasons why this occurs.

Answer 1

Social loafing. A participant puts in less effort as the group size increases.

• Group members feel less responsible for the overall task being performed and therefore exert less effort.
• Motivation of members decreases because they realize that their contributions will not be evaluated on an individual basis.
• The performance of the group is not to be compared with other groups.
• There is improper coordination (or no coordination) among members.
• Belonging to the same group is not important for members. It is only an aggregate of individuals.