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 often occurs because people feel their personal contribution is less identifiable or less essential to the group’s overall success. Social loafing can undermine group productivity and is more likely in larger groups where individual performance is not easily observed. Researchers have studied this effect in various settings, from physical tasks to cognitive projects.

Professor: So, let me give you an example from a study I conducted with my students. I asked two groups of volunteers to pull on a rope as hard as they could. The first group pulled alone, and I measured their force — each person averaged about 100 kilograms. Then I had them pull as part of a four-person team, while I measured the total force. If everyone pulled at 100 kilos, the total should have been 400, but the actual total was only about 250. That’s a huge drop. When I interviewed them afterward, they said they felt less pressure to give their maximum because they thought others would compensate. They also said it was easier to ‘hide’ in the group. So, this clearly shows how individual effort decreases when people believe their contribution is not easily noticed.