What psychological phenomenon describes the reduction of individual effort in group settings?

The phenomenon described is social loafing, which refers to the tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group compared to working alone. This occurs because individuals may feel less accountable for the outcome in a group setting, leading to a reduction in effort as they assume others will pick up the slack. Social loafing can be exacerbated by factors such as a lack of motivation for the task, ambiguity in individual contributions, or belief that their effort will not significantly impact the overall group performance.

In contrast, social facilitation involves an increase in performance on simple tasks in the presence of others due to heightened arousal. Social comparison entails evaluating one's abilities or opinions by comparing them to those of others, which can influence self-esteem and social behavior but does not relate to effort reduction. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group leads to irrational or dysfunctional decision-making, but it does not specifically address individual effort in a group context. Understanding social loafing is crucial in contexts such as teamwork and collaborative projects, as it highlights the importance of structuring group dynamics to maintain individual accountability and motivation.