watertank | (no subject)

The more people you're competing against, it turns out, the less motivated and competitive you are. Psychologists observed this pattern across several different situations. Students taking standardized tests in more crowded venues got lower scores. Students asked to complete a short general-knowledge test as fast as possible to win a prize if they were in the fastest 20 percent completed it faster if they were told that they were competing against 10 people rather than 100.

In hindsight, it almost seems like a corollary to the social loafing effect.

It looks like people generally reduce their contribution level while working in large groups.