Social Loafing During Preparation for Performance Situations: The Preloafing Effect

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. Adapted from the source document.