A study was undertaken to investigate firstly, how individual levels of perceived self efficacy affect individual performance in groups and secondly, the influence of self efficacy beliefs and feedback upon social loafing in groups.
The perceived self efficacy of 132 Stage One Psychology students for an anagram solving task, was assessed by questionnaire. Subjects were placed in either high or low self efficacy groups, or by themselves, in order to complete an anagram solving test. Subjects were set a moderately difficult goal and received individual and/or group feedback half way through the task. They then completed the test, whereupon their percentage performance change across both halves of the experiment was measured.
In accordance with the hypotheses, perceived self efficacy contributed to variations in motivation, depending on whether positive or negative feedback was received. The effects noted within individual subjects were considerably stronger for individuals performing within the context of a group. Social loafing only occurred in low self efficacy grouped condition subjects, who received negative feedback. Therefore low self efficacy may be considered a potential moderator of the social loafing effect. The implications of these findings are discussed
