Free Rider Problem

Free-rider or hitchhiking effect (Kerr, 1983; Kerr & Bruun, 1983). This occurs if individual effort is perceived to be unnecessary, as is the case when the whole group receives one grade that may be based on the performance of a sub-group, for example, the ones who do a substantive share of the work.

Kerr, N. L. (1983). The dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free-rider effects. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 78?94. Kerr, N. L., & Bruun, S. E. (1983). The dispensability of member effort and group motivation losses: Free-rider effects. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 5, 1?15.