Social Loafing

PublishedAugust 12, 2021
CategorySociology
Reading time11 min read

The Basic Idea

What was your last group project? Maybe you were in college, grouped with three other perpetually-tired students, trying to collectively write 20 pages on your favorite behavioral phenomenon. Should be easy right? If the work is divided equally, that’s five pages each – a very feasible workload within a semester. However, as you started to work on the project, two of your group members never answered their email, never contributed ideas, and never showed up to group meetings. Sound familiar?

This classic college behavior – that spans far beyond the college years – is referred to in psychology as social loafing.

Two cartoon bread loaves are drawn with faces. The one on the left has a frowning expression, and the one on the right is smiling. A speech bubble from the frowning loaf says, "I feel like you're free-loafing." The title "Social Loafing" is written at the top of the image, and the background shows simple hills in orange and green.

“

Sunday is a day of rest. Loafing is not rest.


– Robert Baden-Powell

About the Author

Woman smiles, wearing a light blue sweater over a white shirt. The background shows a dark window surrounded by green leafy plants.

Adrienne Fu

Student, McGill University

Adrienne Fu is a student at McGill University studying Economics, Computer Science, and Psychology. She is passionate about behavioural economics, particularly its intersection with consumer decision-making and UX Design. Outside of the (virtual) office, she enjoys film photography, reading, and taking care of her (many) plants.

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