托福口语 Task 3

Social loafing is a phenomenon in which individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This occurs because people feel their contributions are less identifiable and that others will compensate for their lack of effort. Social loafing can reduce overall group productivity and is more likely in larger groups or when tasks are simple and repetitive. Understanding this concept is important for designing effective teamwork strategies.

Professor: So, let me give you an example from a company I observed. The marketing team was asked to brainstorm ideas for a new ad campaign. They met as a group and each person was supposed to contribute. However, many team members sat back, thinking others would come up with ideas. They made minimal suggestions and spent time checking their phones. The manager noticed that the group’s output was far less creative than when the same individuals worked alone on similar tasks. Later, the manager changed the approach: she assigned each person a specific part of the campaign and asked them to present their ideas individually. Suddenly, everyone worked harder and produced more detailed, innovative proposals. The difference was clear—when individual effort was visible, people stopped slacking off.