Non-participation in seminars: free rider avoidance and value maximization

Seminars are usually a vital part of higher education, but lack of engagement and non-participation by students can reduce their effectiveness. This article looks at non-participation from the perspective of evolutionary psychology in order to assess why, and under what conditions, it might occur. Two approaches are taken. First that students' opting out is considered a rational strategy as a result of students preferentially allocating time to those activities that maximise their chances of gaining a good degree. Second, that non-participation is partly a response to the perception that others are not pulling their weight (perceived fee riding). A questionnaire study revealed that both of these factors might account for some of the variation in participation.