Social loafing

Social loafing is a concept in social psychology that means: People often put in less effort when working in a group than when working alone. The term was introduced by Bibb Latané and colleagues after experiments in the 1970s.

Example

Imagine five students are assigned a group project.

• Some students work very hard.
• One student thinks, “The others will do it,” and contributes very little.

That student is social loafing.

Why does social loafing happen?

Common reasons include:

• Diffusion of responsibility – “Someone else will do it.”
• Lack of individual accountability.
• Believing that one’s contribution will not make much difference.
• Feeling that others are not working hard either.

How can it be reduced?

• Give each person a clear role.
• Make individual contributions visible and accountable.
• Keep groups small.
• Set specific goals and provide feedback.

Difference from diffusion of responsibility

• Social loafing: People work less hard in a group.
• Diffusion of responsibility: People are less likely to take action because they assume someone else will act (for example, during an emergency).