托福口语 Task 3

Social loafing is 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 group's outcome, as their personal contribution is often less visible or identifiable. Researchers have found that social loafing can reduce overall group productivity and is more likely to occur in larger groups or when tasks are simple and repetitive. Understanding this concept is important for designing effective teamwork strategies.

Professor: Let me give you an example from a company I consulted with. They had a team of five people responsible for writing a monthly report. Each person was supposed to contribute a section. Initially, the team met to discuss the report, but no one was assigned specific sections. In the end, the report was late and poorly written—some sections were missing entirely. We found that everyone assumed someone else would do the work. Then we changed the approach: each person was given a distinct section with their name on it, and the team leader reviewed each part separately. The next month, all sections were completed on time, and the quality was much better. This clearly shows how individual accountability can reduce social loafing.