Danni and Michelle were the co-captains of their high school's small environmental action club, and now that they are at college
, they have joined a large club with a similar mission. However, Danni has noticed that Michelle's behavior changed once they joined up with a larger group of students. Once a passionate and tireless worker, Michelle now seems content to sit back and let others do the work. Which of the following terms seems to describe the change in Michelle's behavior?a. deferred action. b. social loafing.
c. networking. d. diffused responsibility.
In social psychology, the term social loafing describes a phenomenon that takes place when individuals work in a group instead of on their own. Social loafing is the tendency people show to exert less effort when working with others. This phenomenon explains why sometimes groups are less efficient and less productive than if the individuals were to work on their own and be responsible for their own productivity. That is the case with Michelle. Now that the group is larger, she is making less effort, being "content to sit back and let others do the work".
