<p>You are correct in that these terms are very close in definition, but terminology is not just about identifying a concept. Terminology is also about identifying the perspective from which you will look at the concept and the community to which you, as the researcher, belong. Here, free-riding and social loafing have very different histories. </p>

<p>Social loafing comes from the social psychology literature and is most closely associated with the methods and typical explanations of that field. Thus, you will typically encounter social loafing around discussions of motivation, diffusion of responsibility, and feeling of effort as dispensable.</p>

<p>Free-riding comes from the economics and game theory literature and is most closely associated with the models and methods of those fields. Thus, you will typically encounter free-riding around discussions of cost-benefit analysis, rational choice, and (the paradox of) cooperation.</p>

<p>The only difference in concept (that I know of) comes from the economics focus on rationality. Social psychologists would classify as social loafing situations where the 'slacking' of an individual hurts not only the group, but their own performance as well (they would have individually -- not just as a group -- gotten a higher payoff if they didn't slack). On the other hand, economists, would not consider this as a case of (rational) free-riding, since they reserve that word for social dilemmas where cooperating costs you more than the marginal increase you get from the benefit to the group, but where everybody free-riding is even worse.</p>

<p>Of course, the terms cross-fertilize, especially in the direction of free-riding entering the discussions of social loafing. In the social psychology literature, you will see free-riding used as an <em>explanation</em> of social loafing in cases where the experimenters believe that the choice to loaf is based on a (rational) cost/benefit analysis instead of some of the other factors I discussed.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T01:01:17.160Z
2016-05-24T01:01:17.160Z
Artem Kaznatcheev
<p>In different papers I see these terms with very close definitions. Are they different things? If yes, how one can differentiate them?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-23T11:56:20.647Z
Care to reference two papers where the terms were used?
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T00:33:55.733Z
@Steven Jeuris, Sorry for my late response. The answer is as easy as searching the terms in Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=free+riding      
https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=social+loafing
user2521204
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T11:03:03.917Z
I was not stating I could not find it myself. Merely highlighting that formulating a self-contained question (thus including references) is better received on this site. It also gives extra context to your question, in case this would matter. E.g. particular authors (the ones you read) might deviate from 'the norm'.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T11:05:30.453Z
@Steven Jeuris, Sorry about that. I am just learning the norms.
user2521204
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-24T11:06:01.913Z
No apologies needed. I'm just providing you with the suitable feedback to do so. ;p Welcome to CogSci!
Steven Jeuris
<social-psychology><terminology><experimental-psychology><motivation><game-theory>
Social loafing vs. Free riding
user2521204
# Social loafing vs. Free riding

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-23)

In different papers I see these terms with very close definitions. Are they different things? If yes, how one can differentiate them?

**Tags:** social-psychology, terminology, experimental-psychology, motivation, game-theory

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Care to reference two papers where the terms were used?  
> **username_0**: @username_1, Sorry for my late response. The answer is as easy as searching the terms in Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=free+riding       https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=social+loafing  
> **username_1**: I was not stating I could not find it myself. Merely highlighting that formulating a self-contained question (thus including references) is better received on this site. It also gives extra context to your question, in case this would matter. E.g. particular authors (the ones you read) might deviate from 'the norm'.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, Sorry about that. I am just learning the norms.  
> **username_1**: No apologies needed. I'm just providing you with the suitable feedback to do so. ;p Welcome to CogSci!  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-05-24. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

You are correct in that these terms are very close in definition, but terminology is not just about identifying a concept. Terminology is also about identifying the perspective from which you will look at the concept and the community to which you, as the researcher, belong. Here, free-riding and social loafing have very different histories.

Social loafing comes from the social psychology literature and is most closely associated with the methods and typical explanations of that field. Thus, you will typically encounter social loafing around discussions of motivation, diffusion of responsibility, and feeling of effort as dispensable.

Free-riding comes from the economics and game theory literature and is most closely associated with the models and methods of those fields. Thus, you will typically encounter free-riding around discussions of cost-benefit analysis, rational choice, and (the paradox of) cooperation.

The only difference in concept (that I know of) comes from the economics focus on rationality. Social psychologists would classify as social loafing situations where the 'slacking' of an individual hurts not only the group, but their own performance as well (they would have individually -- not just as a group -- gotten a higher payoff if they didn't slack). On the other hand, economists, would not consider this as a case of (rational) free-riding, since they reserve that word for social dilemmas where cooperating costs you more than the marginal increase you get from the benefit to the group, but where everybody free-riding is even worse.

Of course, the terms cross-fertilize, especially in the direction of free-riding entering the discussions of social loafing. In the social psychology literature, you will see free-riding used as an *explanation* of social loafing in cases where the experimenters believe that the choice to loaf is based on a (rational) cost/benefit analysis instead of some of the other factors I discussed.


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