Felt dispensability in groups of coactors: The effects of shared responsibility and explicit anonymity on cognitive effort

Abstract

The study reported here tests the effects of explicit anonymity and shared responsibility on cognitive effort. In Experiment 1, ninety-nine undergraduate students participated in a multiattribute judgment task, and math models of their judgments were constructed. Results showed that students who believed the responsibility for the judgment task was shared by 15 others used less complex judgment strategies than single judges or judges working in pairs. Results also showed that the effect of explicit anonymity on cognitive effort was quite small. In Experiment 2, students performed the job evaluation task and responded to questionnaire items measuring attitudes toward the task. Responses to these items showed that students who shared responsibility for the judgment task with 15 others felt more dispensable than students working alone or students working in pairs. Together these data show that feelings of dispensability can be the primary cause of social loafing in some situations and that feeling necessary can motivate effort in spite of anonymity.