TOEFL Устная речь Task 3

Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone. This phenomenon occurs because individual contributions are less identifiable in a group setting, leading to reduced motivation and accountability. Research shows that social loafing can lower overall group productivity and is more likely to occur in large groups where members feel their efforts are less impactful. Understanding this concept is important for designing effective teamwork strategies.

Professor: Now, let me give you an example from a real classroom. I once had my students work on a group project to design a science poster. I divided them into teams of five. Each team had to submit one poster, and everyone got the same grade. Interestingly, I noticed that some students did very little work. One student, Jake, only attended one meeting and contributed just a few ideas. Meanwhile, two other students, Maria and Tom, did most of the research and drawing. When I talked to the class, I found that Jake felt his effort wouldn't be noticed because the whole team's name was on the poster. He thought others would cover for him. In contrast, when I later gave a solo assignment, Jake worked much harder because his individual performance was directly evaluated. This clearly shows how group settings can reduce personal effort.