Which of the following is an example of social loafing in everyday life?

• A. A group member takes on extra tasks to help the team succeed.
• B. A person volunteers to lead a team because they want to stand out.
• C. A student puts in less effort when working on a group project because they believe others will pick up the slack.
• D. An employee works harder when their performance is being individually evaluated.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of social loafing: it refers to the phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone, often because they believe others will compensate for their reduced effort.
2. Review each option and identify whether the behavior shows reduced effort due to group presence or increased effort despite the group context.
3. Option 1 describes a group member taking on extra tasks, which is the opposite of social loafing because it shows increased effort.
4. Option 2 involves volunteering to lead to stand out, indicating motivation to be noticed, not reduced effort.
5. Option 3 describes a student putting in less effort on a group project because they expect others to pick up the slack, which perfectly illustrates social loafing.