Oxford AQA A Level Psychology: SOCIAL FACILITATION & SOCIAL LOAFING [3.3.4 Work and The Individual]

This fully editable lesson on Social Facilitation and Social Loafing examines the impact of group processes on individual performance, emphasising how the presence of others can either enhance or hinder productivity. Aligned with the OxfordAQA International A-Level Psychology (9685) specification, this lesson guides students in understanding the factors that influence behavior within group settings, especially in organisational and educational contexts.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Lesson Slides: The slides provide an in-depth exploration of social facilitation and social loafing, introducing foundational theories and key studies such as Triplett’s (1897) cycling experiment and Ringelmann’s (1913) rope-pulling study. Through structured content, students examine how these theories apply to real-world scenarios, highlighting factors like task complexity and group size that impact individual effort and group productivity.

• Interactive Activities: Engaging “Do Now” questions and Think-Pair-Share discussions encourage students to consider the implications of group dynamics in different settings. Structured activities include analysing scenarios where social facilitation and social loafing are evident, such as Kai and Tyler’s performances in a school drama production, allowing students to apply theories using the PEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation) format. Extension questions further challenge students to differentiate between online and face-to-face group interactions.

• Evaluation Points and Assessment Materials: The lesson includes PEEE (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Evaluation) tasks and exam-style questions to support critical analysis. Evaluation tasks cover strengths and limitations of social facilitation and social loafing, addressing aspects like individual differences, cultural relativity, and practical applications in workplace productivity. Additional questions on social loafing explore the influence of group size and accountability measures, providing students with structured opportunities to deepen their evaluative skills.