Question

(1) An old saying has it that "Many hands make light the work " (2) Thus we might expect that three individuals can pull three times as much as one person and that eight can pull eight times as much (3) Research reveals that persons individually average 130 pounds of pressure when tugging on a rope. (4) However, in groups of three, they average 351 pounds (only 2.5 times the solo rate); and in groups of eight, only 546 pounds (less than 4 times the solo rate). (5) One explanation is that faulty coordination produces group inefficiency. (6) However, when subjects are blindfolded and beleve they are pulling with others, they also slacken their effort. (7) Apparently when we work in groups, we cut down on our efforts, a process termed social loafing

Answer 1

The passage discusses the phenomenon of social loafing, which is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone. This is contrary to the expectation that more people would result in more work being done.

The passage presents research findings that indicate when individuals work in groups of three, they average 2.5 times the solo rate of 130 pounds of pressure, amounting to 351 pounds. Similarly, in groups of eight, the average is less than 4 times the solo rate, at 546 pounds. This suggests that the increase in effort is not proportional to the number of individuals.

One possible explanation for this phenomenon is faulty coordination, which leads to inefficiency within the group. However, the passage also mentions that when subjects are blindfolded and believe they are pulling with others, they still slacken their effort. This indicates that the presence of others alone can result in reduced individual effort.

The overall conclusion is that when people work in groups, they tend to cut down on their efforts, which is referred to as social loafing. This phenomenon highlights the need for strategies to mitigate social loafing and ensure that individuals contribute their fair share of effort when working collectively.