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 individual contributions are less identifiable in a group setting, leading to reduced motivation and effort. Social loafing is more likely to occur in large groups, where individual output is difficult to measure, and when tasks are seen as low in personal relevance or challenge. Understanding social loafing is important for designing effective teamwork strategies.

Professor: Let me give you a classic example. In a psychology study, researchers asked participants to clap and shout as loudly as possible. When they did it alone, they produced a high level of noise. But when they did it in groups of six, each person produced less noise than they did alone. Interestingly, the larger the group, the less effort each individual put in. Why? Because in a group, no one can tell who is clapping or shouting less. The researchers also found that when participants were told their individual output would be recorded and identified, their effort increased significantly. So, this shows that when people feel their effort is hidden or unidentifiable, they tend to slack off.