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Chapter 13: Problem 12

According to Latané \((1981),\) social loafing is due to: A. social norms that stress the importance of positive interactions among group members. B. duplication of effort among group members. C. diffusion of responsibility in groups. D. a bias toward making internal attributions about the behavior of others.

Short Answer

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Answer: C. diffusion of responsibility in groups

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Social Loafing

Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when they are part of a group than when they are working alone. It is a well-known phenomenon in group psychology. To choose the right answer, one must be familiar with the work of Latané on social loafing and the possible reasons behind it.
02

Review Latané's work on social loafing

Based on the work of Latané (1981), we know that social loafing is primarily due to diffusion of responsibility in groups. When people work in a group, they may feel less personally accountable for the outcome because responsibility is shared among all members. This causes some individuals to put in less effort than they would if they were solely responsible for the task.
03

Select the correct option

Now that we know the primary cause of social loafing according to Latané (1981) is diffusion of responsibility in groups, we can choose the correct option from the list: A. social norms that stress the importance of positive interactions among group members. B. duplication of effort among group members. C. diffusion of responsibility in groups. D. a bias toward making internal attributions about the behavior of others. The correct answer is C. diffusion of responsibility in groups, as it is consistent with Latané's work on the topic.

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