TOEFL Speaking Task 3

Social loafing is a phenomenon in which individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This reduction in motivation occurs because individuals feel their contributions are less identifiable or less essential to the group’s outcome. According to researchers, social loafing arises from a diffusion of responsibility, where each member assumes others will compensate for their lack of effort. This concept is often observed in collaborative tasks, such as group projects or team sports, and can undermine overall productivity and group cohesion.

Professor: Now, let me illustrate social loafing with a classic classroom experiment. In one study, students were asked to clap and shout as loudly as possible. First, they did this alone, and their individual noise levels were measured. Then, they were placed in groups of six and asked to do the same. Surprisingly, the combined noise from the group was only about three times louder than one person’s clap, not six times. In other words, each person made less noise in the group than they did alone. Why? Because they felt their individual effort was hidden among the others. They thought, 'If I don’t shout as loud, no one will notice.' This is a perfect example of social loafing. The same thing happens in real-world teamwork—when a project relies on a group, some members may slack off, assuming others will pick up the slack.