Are You a “Social Loafer”?Do you exert less effort on a task when participating in a group than you would if you
were performing it alone? If so, you may be a social loafer. A major complaint about
group work involves dealing with free-riding behavior: resentment about group mem-
bers who don’t do their fair share or who even undermine the overall group goal. With
your last group experience in mind, use the following five-point scale to determine if
you were a social loafer: 5 = extremely like me; 4 = somewhat like me; 3 = neither like
nor unlike me; 2 = somewhat unlike me; and 1 = extremely unlike me.Add your scores together to get an informal assessment of social loafing.
74–100 You are NOT a social loafer. You carry your weight in a group and
reinforce the contributions of others. People value you and your contributions.
47–73 You may be a social loafer in certain group situations. With your last group
experience, you were probably frustrated but not sure how to make it better. In the
future, be sure you are communicating support and involvement, and show respect for
others so that each person feels that he or she has a useful role to play.
20–46 Social loafer! In group situations, people are likely to see you as apathetic
and may even resent you. Whenever you join a group in the future, you should work
harder to do your fair share and show support for all your group members.
Source: Adapted from Maiden & Perry (2011).what about you?
1. I arrived on time for group meetings and stayed until the end.
2. I showed enthusiasm about group activities.
3. I showed a positive attitude toward fellow group members.
4. I participated in planning the project/activity.
5. I volunteered for tasks appropriate to my expertise.
6. I contributed regularly to group discussion.
7. I put forth effort equal to or greater than that of my group members.
8. I delivered my contributions in a complete fashion.
9. My fellow group members perceived me as agreeable.
10. My fellow group members perceived me as thorough.
11. My fellow group members perceived me as dependable.
12. My fellow group members perceived me as conscientious.
13. I met all deadlines.
14. I asked for help from others when needed.
15. I supported the contributions of other group members.
16. I was open to suggestions from others.
17. I gave credit to others for their suggestions and contributions.
18. I made positive adaptations to the differences of group members.
19. I tried my absolute best.
20. I shared credit/blame for the outcome of our group.
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