Social Loafing

Social loafing, also known as the Ringleman effect, is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group compared to working alone. This effect worsens as the group size increases. The underlying reason is that individuals feel their contribution is less significant in a group, leading to decreased motivation. Social loafing is related to other group performance issues like the free rider effect, where individuals rely on others to do their share, and the sucker effect, where individuals do less work due to the presence of free riders.

What is the ringleman effect and how does it relate to social loafing?

Explain the tendency of individuals to exert themselves less in a group compared to when they are alone.

How does group size affect individual effort according to the text?

What is the free rider effect and how does it relate to social loafing?

Describe the sucker effect and its connection to social loafing.