social loafing

the reduction of individual effort that occurs when people work in groups compared to when they work alone. See also Ringelmann effect; social interference. [first described in 1979 by U.S. social psychologist Bibb Latané (1937– ), U.S.-born Australian social psychologist Kipling D. Williams (1953– )], and U.S. social psychologist Stephen G. Harkins]

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Psychology term of the day

April 30th 2024

indefinite article

in linguistics, an article (a or an in English) used with a noun phrase to indicate a nonspecific entity or one not previously defined, as in A dog is a wonderful companion or A dog started barking. Compare definite article.