Today we will talk about a phenomenon studied by social psychology called the Ringelmann effect.
Maximilien Ringelmann was a French agronomist who was conducting various research in the field of agriculture in order to optimize the performance of animal and human labor.
Ringelmann observed that when a group of people pull a rope simultaneously and in the same direction, the total sum of the force exerted by the group is less than the sum of the force that each person exerts individually. So much so, that Ringelmann showed that the larger the group to do a task, the less the individual effort decreases. (Kravitz, D. A., & Martin, B., 1986)
For example: 7 subjects pull on a rope individually (one by one) and the average of their effort is 83.3 Kg, when they go on to pull collectively, at the same time and in the same direction, the average of the your effort is reduced to 65Kg (For a more detailed explanation, see the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie86akybhpm)
Why should we be interested in this?
At some point in our lives we find ourselves in situations where we have to do tasks with other people, whether at work or at university. Knowing the factors that help us minimize the Ringelmann effect will allow us to be more effective in carrying out this group work.
Based on the results of this research, other authors became interested in the topic and different variables have been proposed to decrease the influence of this effect:
- It is preferable to work in small groups to do a task.
- It is advisable that we organize ourselves in such a way that each member of the group is responsible for a part of this work. Since one of the explanatory hypotheses of this effect is the so-called “dispersion of responsibility” (Ros Guasch, J. A., 2007).
- Since a possible explanation for the Ringelmann effect is the tendency to trust that the other members of the group will provide the desired effort for the common task, motivation is diminished. That is why it is crucial to keep this motivation as high as possible, for example, by entrusting meaningful tasks, which involve and motivate intrinsically.
- Coordination between group members is important, as this effect can also be due to failure to coordinate the efforts of each. Therefore, it is necessary to organize the group and promote mechanisms that report to it on the degree to which the proposed objectives were met. (Ingham, A. G et al, 1974).
Thanks to this effect we can see that sometimes “more does not mean better.” Taking into account the factors mentioned above, we can apply them in everyday situations in which we see ourselves as part of a group or team. In this way, we can maximize productivity and also create a more equitable dynamic, as we prevent someone from “doing nothing” or working only the minimum required.
Further information:
Kravitz, D. A., & Martin, B. (1986). Ringelmann rediscovered: The original article.
Ingham, A. G., Levinger, G., Graves, J., & Peckham, V. (1974). The Ringelmann effect: Studies of group size and group performance. Journal of experimental social psychology, 10(4), 371-384.
Ros Guasch, J. A. (2007). Análisis de roles de trabajo en equipo un enfoque centrado en comportamientos. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,
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