Identify all the factors that reduce social loafing.
A. Making the efforts of each person identifiable
B. There is an improper coordination among members
C. Increasing the pressure to work hard
D. Decreasing the motivation of group members as their contribution will not be evaluated
E. Making people feel that their individual contribution is important
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, C, E only
Social loafing is a reduction in individual effort when working on a collective task, one in which outputs are pooled, as in a game of tug-of-war.
A. Making the efforts of each person identifiable Correct. When each person’s effort can be seen, no one can hide in the group and become a free rider.
B. There is an improper coordination among members Incorrect. Improper (or no) coordination among members is one of the reasons why social loafing occurs, so it increases loafing instead of reducing it.
C. Increasing the pressure to work hard Correct. Increasing the pressure to work hard makes group members committed to successful task performance.
D. Decreasing the motivation of group members as their contribution will not be evaluated Incorrect. The motivation of members decreases because they realise that their contributions will not be evaluated on an individual basis; this too explains why loafing occurs. Lowering motivation can only add to it.
E. Making people feel that their individual contribution is important Correct. When people feel their own contribution matters, they do not relax their effort; this is one of the listed ways to reduce social loafing.
NCERT (2025-26): “Social Loafing … Why does social loafing occur? The explanations offered are:
“Social loafing may be reduced by:
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