We have all been social loafers at some point in our lives. I’ll admit that I have taken part in social loafing numerous times. Social loafing is the decrease in individual output on tasks where everyone’s contributions are pooled (Latane et al., 1979). Basically speaking, we don’t exert as much effort when in a group, mostly because individual output can’t be identified.
Recently, our sorority had a potluck dinner. As far as potlucks go, for those of you who don’t know about potlucks, everyone is supposed to bring something. Anyways, the girl in charge of the event had created a sign-up sheet and reinforced the idea multiple times that everyone was supposed to contribute something to the dinner, even if all the blanks had been filled. However, I sit at the front of the room during chapter and consequently never get passed the sign-up sheets. Nothing was different this time, I didn’t receive the sign-up and instead of doing what I had been instructed to do and bring something anyways I just figured that since forty-some odd other girls had signed up to bring things no one would notice if I didn’t contribute an item. I mean if forty-plus people are bringing dishes there would for sure be plenty of food. And that was me being a total free-rider, letting everyone else do the work while I just showed up and ate.
Side note on the event: We initially were in a panic at the beginning of our potluck because half the people who signed up didn’t bring what they’d signed up for or showed up late with it; we weren’t sure we were going to have enough food. And at that point I felt super guilty about not bringing anything. Whoops! But I still managed to not get caught J
Latane, B., Williams, K., & Harkins, S. (1979). Many hands make light the work: The causes and consequences of social loafing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37, 822-832.
I'm tattling.
ReplyDeletehaha in regard to katie cam's comment :)
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wish I could be a free-rider. I'm usually the sucker who does a lot of the work as a result of social compensation. Expecting people in organizations to be flaky, I end up picking up the slack and working harder than many in a group setting (Wow. . .i sound so humble. . .). . .I wish I could say that I was going to willingly become a free-rider or allow myself to fall to the sucker effect of social loafing, but I think I care too much for my own good (That and I have the responsibility of being an officer. . .I have to attempt to set a good example don’t i?)