Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in groups compared to working alone. The effect is robust and well-documented. People don’t consciously decide to slack off in groups. The reduced effort happens automatically through a combination of diffused responsibility, reduced identifiability, and perceived dispensability. Group settings change the motivational calculus, making individual contribution less salient and less rewarding. This creates systematic underperformance where total group output is less than the sum of individual capabilities. The classic demonstration is the rope-pulling experiment. An individual pulling alone exerts maximum effort. Adding a second person should double...