TOEFL TPO 16 Speaking Task 3 Sample: Using the example from the lecture, explain what social loafing is, and how it affects people's behavior.

Historical user samples and AI evaluation results from an older TOEFL format.

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Older TOEFL Format

This task is from a previous version of the TOEFL exam. The current TOEFL has a different structure. These archived samples remain available as a reference for practice.

Task Overview

Reading Passage

Social Loafing When people work in groups to perform a task, individual group members may feel less motivated to contribute, since no person is held directly responsible for completing the task. The result is that people may not work as hard, or accomplish as much, as they would if they were working alone and their individual output were being measured. This decrease in personal effort, especially on a simple group task, is known as social loafing. While it is not a deliberate behavior, the consequence of social loafing is less personal efficiency when working in groups than when working on one's own.

Question

Using the example from the lecture, explain what social loafing is, and how it affects people's behavior.

User Samples & Evaluation Results

Evaluation Result

1.子项得分 Delivery: 3 Language Use: 3 Topic Development: 3

2.预估分数 Estimated Score: 23

3.表达从表达方面来看，这个回答的语音清晰，语速适中，但偶尔有些停顿。为了提高表达能力，建议练习更流畅的发音和更自然的停顿。同时，注意正确发音以避免拼写错误。

4.话题发展 The response is coherent and well-organized, with clear connections between ideas and sufficient support from the example provided in the lecture. However, there is room for improvement in topic development. The response could have elaborated more on the concept of social loafing and its consequences, as well as providing a more detailed explanation of the experiment's results. To improve, try to expand on the ideas presented and make stronger connections between the passage and the lecture example.

5.语言使用

Original Answer: The passage introduces a concept called social loafing. It is a phenomenon that the personal efficiency will decrease when working in a group. In the lecture, the professor gives an example of the experiment. In the experiment, people are asked to peel the potatoes. However, some of them do the work alone and the number each person peeled is recorded. However, others work in a group and only the total number of the potatoes is told. After that, the researcher compared the average number of potatoes each person peeled in the groups. And he found that when the people work in a group, they peel significantly fewer potatoes than the ones who work alone. This experiment illustrates how social loafing happens on people.

Corrected Answer: The passage introduces a concept known as social loafing, which is a phenomenon where personal efficiency decreases when working in a group. In the lecture, the professor provides an example through an experiment. In this experiment, participants are asked to peel potatoes. Some participants work individually, with their individual potato-peeling count recorded, while others work in groups with only the total number of potatoes peeled being recorded. Subsequently, researchers compare the average number of potatoes peeled per person between these two conditions. They find that individuals working in groups peel significantly fewer potatoes than those working alone, illustrating how social loafing affects people's behavior. (将原文中的重复词汇和表达进行了修改，使句子更加简洁明了。同时，对部分语法结构进行了调整，使其更加自然。)

Revised Answer (140 words):

Social loafing is introduced in the passage as a phenomenon where personal efficiency decreases when individuals work in groups rather than alone. The lecture provides an example through an experiment involving potato peeling. Participants are divided into two conditions: one where they work individually and have their individual potato-peeling count recorded, and another where they work in groups with only the total number of potatoes peeled being recorded. Researchers then compare the average number of potatoes peeled per person between these two conditions. The results reveal that individuals working in groups peel significantly fewer potatoes than those working alone, demonstrating how social loafing affects people's behavior. This experiment highlights the importance of understanding social loafing and its consequences in group settings, as it can lead to decreased productivity and efficiency.

6.思维导图

Social Loafing
- Definition
- Consequences
Lecture Example
- Experiment
  - Potato peeling
  - Individual vs. Group conditions
- Results
  - Decreased efficiency in groups
Conclusion
- Importance of understanding social loafing

7.关键词

Word	Phonetic Symbols	Parts of Speech	English Definition	Simplified Chinese Translation	Sample Sentence
Social Loafing	/ˈsoʊʃəl ˈloʊfɪŋ/	Noun	The phenomenon of people exerting less effort when working in a group than when working individually.	社会懈怠现象	Social loafing can negatively impact a team's productivity, as demonstrated by the potato-peeling experiment.
Efficiency	/ɪˈfɪʃənsi/	Noun	The ability to accomplish a task with minimum wasted effort or expense.	效率	Understanding the factors that influence efficiency is crucial for improving group performance.
Phenomenon	/fəˈnɒmɪnən/	Noun	A fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause is in question.	现象	The phenomenon of social loafing has been studied extensively in the field of psychology.
Consequence	/ˈkɒnsɪkwəns/	Noun	A result or effect of an action or condition.	结果，后果	The consequences of social loafing can lead to decreased productivity and efficiency in group settings.
Productivity	/ˌproʊdʌkˈtɪvɪti, ˌprɒd-/	Noun	The effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of output.	生产力，生产效率	In my opinion, addressing social loafing is essential for increasing productivity and achieving better results in teamwork.