托福口语 Task 3

Social loafing is a phenomenon in which individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This occurs because people feel their contributions are less identifiable in a group setting, leading to reduced motivation. Researchers have found that social loafing is more likely to occur in large groups, when tasks are simple or repetitive, and when individuals believe their effort will not affect the overall outcome. Understanding this concept is important for managers and educators who want to maximize group productivity.

Professor: So, to illustrate social loafing, let me tell you about a study conducted with college students. In the study, researchers asked students to cheer as loudly as they could. First, they measured the loudness when each student cheered alone. Then, they asked the same students to cheer in groups of four and then in groups of eight. The results were striking: as the group size increased, the average noise produced by each individual actually decreased. When cheering alone, a student produced about 80 decibels, but in a group of four, each produced only about 60 decibels, and in a group of eight, the individual output dropped to about 50 decibels. The students didn't realize they were putting in less effort, but their performance clearly declined. This happened because in a crowd, each person felt less individually responsible for the total noise—they thought, 'Someone else will make up for it.' This example perfectly shows how group settings can reduce individual effort.