Social Loafing

Definition

Social loafing refers to a decline in motivation and effort found when people combine their efforts to form a group product. People tend to generate less output or to contribute less effort when working on a task collectively where contributions are combined than when working individually. The consequence is that people are less productive when working as part of a group than when working individually. Social loafing is similar to the free rider effect, whereby people contribute less to a collective effort when they perceive their contributions are dispensable. This is also similar to the sucker effect, whereby people withhold their contributions to a group to avoid being the victim of the social loafing or free riding efforts of other group members. However, the free ...