TOEFL Speaking Task 3

In psychology, the concept of 'social loafing' refers to the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This phenomenon occurs because individuals feel less accountable for the final outcome and believe their personal contribution is less noticeable in a collective setting. Social loafing can reduce overall group productivity and is more likely to occur in large groups where individual performance is not easily evaluated.

Professor: So, let me give you an example from my own research. I once observed a team of students assigned to work on a group project for a marketing class. They had to create a promotional video. I noticed that when the team was large—say, six members—some students contributed very little. For instance, one student, Mark, mostly sat back and let others brainstorm ideas. He rarely suggested anything or volunteered for tasks. When I asked him about it, he said, 'Well, others are doing a good job, so my input isn't needed.' In contrast, when I later assigned the same students to work in pairs on a similar task, Mark was much more active. He researched, wrote scripts, and took responsibility because his effort directly affected the final product. So, in the large group, Mark's effort dropped, but in the small group, it increased.