托福口语 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 individual contributions are less identifiable in a group setting, leading to a diffusion of responsibility. Social loafing can reduce overall group productivity, especially when tasks are simple or when members feel their efforts are not crucial to the outcome. Researchers have studied this effect in various contexts, such as team projects, sports, and workplace collaborations.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example of social loafing. In a university study, students were asked to clap and cheer as loud as possible. First, they did this alone, and their individual noise levels were measured. Then, they were put in groups of six and asked to clap and cheer again. Interestingly, when in a group, each person’s individual output was lower than when they performed alone. On average, participants made only about half as much noise per person in the group. Why? Because they felt less personally responsible for the overall sound—they assumed others would cover for them. This shows how group settings can reduce individual effort, even in a simple physical task.