Motivation and group performance: individual effort on collective tasks - Motivation gains in groups

5 important questions on Motivation and group performance: individual effort on collective tasks - Motivation gains in groups

When does social compensation occur?

When people work hard on a task when they expect that other group members will perform poorly. By working harder, these group members try to compensate the lack of ability or high task performance of the group.

When does the Köhler effect occur?

When group members work harder because they fear that the group would otherwise fail because of them (Köhler, 1926).

Especially low-ability people work harder.

Under what conditions does social compensation occur?

  1. Group members have to expect other to perform insufficiently for the group to succeed.
  2. These group members must feel that performing well is very important.


When these conditions are satisfied, group members may work harder in group members than when working alone.
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What are the limits of the social compensation effect?

  1. It might not occur in larger groups, because in that case it is hard to compensate for many other group members.
  2. After some time an individual will probably refuse to compensate for others.
  3. Maybe the effect will disappear after some time.
  4. Individuals who compensate for others might leave the group and join a group which members are more able or willing to perform

Why should a less able member work harder in a group situation than working alone?

  1. A co-action situation such as that of Köhler might lead to upward social comparisons and competition among participants.
  2. People don't like the idea that their group will perform poorly because of them

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