Social Loafing

Social loafing occurs when individuals exert less effort in a group setting than when they are alone. The term social loafing was first coined by Latané, Williams, however, research on the phenomenon was reported in 1913 by French agricultural engineer Maximilien Ringelmann, who found that when individuals were asked to participate in a rope‐pulling activity, those who were in a group exerted less effort than individuals who carried out the activity alone. Subsequent research has found that the size of the group affects how much social loafing is likely to occur. Individuals exert less effort when they are in large versus small groups. Individuals who are part of large groups will be less likely to engage in desirable actions, such as being productive at work, assisting others in need of help and maintaining public areas in towns and cities, which can lead to negative consequences for society.