Question

Rachel is engaging in social loafing when working on a group assignment. Predict how much effort she will put into the assignment:

A) High effort, as social loafing increases motivation
B) Moderate effort, as social loafing decreases accountability
C) Low effort, as social loafing diminishes perceived individual contribution
D) Equal effort, as social loafing promotes equal distribution of tasks

Answer 1

Low effort is expected from Rachel due to social loafing, which means she will not be motivated to contribute much to the group assignment as individual efforts cannot be separately evaluated and the task appears easy.

Step-by-step explanation:

If Rachel is engaging in social loafing while working on a group assignment, it is likely that she will put in C) Low effort, as social loafing diminishes perceived individual contribution. Social loafing occurs when an individual reduces their effort because they know that the performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. This often leads to a decline in performance on tasks perceived as easy since individual accountability is low and contributions are pooled.

Instances of social loafing are particularly common among college students and can be influenced by group size, with larger groups increasing the likelihood of social loafing. However, it may be less likely in complex and challenging tasks where individuals feel their contribution is necessary for the group's success. Moreover, self-evaluation mechanisms or assessment by a manager or instructor can curb social loafing.