People put in less effort when their own contribution can't be seen

Social loafing is the drop in individual effort that happens when people work as a group. Research has found that it shrinks when each person's output can be identified. It isn't limited to physical tasks. One study found loafing on a thought-provoking task where each person could make a unique contribution. On Critically, every note and citation carries its author's name, so each person's share of a shared notebook is visible.