Final answer:
Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to expend less effort when working as part of a group than when working alone. Factors such as individual accountability and self-evaluations can alleviate social loafing.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to expend less effort when working as part of a group than when working alone. This phenomenon occurs because individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group, leading to a decline in effort on easy tasks. Social loafing can be alleviated by factors such as individual accountability and self-evaluations.