Social Loafing During Preparation for Performance Situations

Abstract

Social loafing describes the loss of motivation and effort within group situations. The study proposed to answer the question of whether social loafing also affects preparation for a group task. It was expected that participants preparing for an individual task would show a better quality of preparation than participants anticipating a group task. Furthermore, the correlation between social loafing during preparation (preloafing) and social loafing during the main task was examined. In a pilot study conducted first, preloafing was found in a sample of male students. The main study showed the same effect for females on a grip-strength endurance task. Contrary to expectations, the correlation between preloafing and social loafing was only moderate. Theoretical implications of the phenomenon are discussed.