Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): a review

Lamm, Helmut; Trommsdorff, Gisela

Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): a review

Files

Group_versus_individual_performance_on_tasks_1973_KOPS8835.pdf(2.69 MB)

Date

1973

Authors

Lamm, Helmut

Trommsdorff, Gisela

Publication type

Journal article

Published in

European Journal of Social Psychology ; 3 (1973), 4. - pp. 361-388

Abstract

In the experiments reviewed in this article the subjects are asked to produce ideas that are relevant to a given task request (e.g., possible consequences of a hypothetical event). After describing the specific task material and the performance measures used in the relevant research studies, some analytic background is given by outlining the cognitive resources required in this kind of experimental task and by listing the various factors that may come into play when subjects perform in groups (with discussion) instead of individually. We then review the studies comparing individual and group performance. In all ot these experiments the subjects were asked to work according to the rules of brainstorming, which prescribe that participants refrain from evaluating their ideas. This procedure purportedly results in superior group, relative to individual, performance. However, the empirical evidence clearly indicates that subjects brainstorming in small groups produce fewer ideas than the same number of subjects brainstorming individually. Less clear evidence is available on measures of quality, uniqueness and variety. The discussion considers factors that may be responsible for this inferiority of groups. The role of social inhibition receives particular attention also in terms of suggestions for research. Apart from the group-individual comparison we review the existing research concerning factors that may influence group performance on idea-generation tasks.

Summary in another language

In den hier referierten Experimenten besteht die Aufgabe der Versuchspersonen darin, Ideen zu produzieren, die in einen vorgegebenen Rahmen fallen, sich aber einer Richtig-Falsch-Beurteilung entziehen (z.B. mögliche Konsequenzen eines hypothetischen Ereignisses). Auf eine Erläuterung des Aufgabenmaterials und der abhängigen Variablen (Leistungsindices), die in den relevanten Untersuchungen benutzt wurden, und der bei diesen Aufgaben erforderlichen kognitiven Ressourcen folgt eine Übersicht über Faktoren, die bei Gruppen- gegenüber Einzelaktivitat wirksam werden können. In den für das letztere Thema relevanten Experimenten bearbeiteten die Versuchspersonen die gestellten Aufgaben nach den Regeln des 'brainstorming', die insbesondere Kritik ausschließen. Durchweg ergab sich, daß Vpn, die in Gruppen (mit Diskussion) arbeiten, weniger Ideen produzieren als die gleiche Anzahl von Vpn, die individuell arbeiten. (Bezüglich der anderen Indices - Qualitat, Einzigartigkeit und Mannigfaltigkeit - sind die Ergebnisse nicht einheitlich). Dieser Befund wird im Hinblick auf zugrundeliegende Faktoren diskutiert, wobei - auch in unseren Vorschlagen für zukünftige Forschungen - die Rolle der sozialen Hemmungen besondere Beachtung erhält. - Neben dem Vergleich von Gruppen- und Einzeltätigkeit werden die Forschungsergebnisse zum allgemeinen Thema der Ideenproduktion in Kleingruppen referiert.

Subject (DDC)

150 Psychology

Cite This

ISO 690

LAMM, Helmut, Gisela TROMMSDORFF, 1973. Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): a review. In: European Journal of Social Psychology. 3(4), pp. 361-388. Available under: doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2420030402

BibTex

@article{Lamm1973Group-10925,
  year={1973},
  doi={10.1002/ejsp.2420030402},
  title={Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): a review},
  number={4},
  volume={3},
  journal={European Journal of Social Psychology},
  pages={361--388},
  author={Lamm, Helmut and Trommsdorff, Gisela}
}

RDF

<rdf:RDF
    xmlns:dcterms="http://purl.org/dc/terms/"
    xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
    xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
    xmlns:bibo="http://purl.org/ontology/bibo/"
    xmlns:dspace="http://digital-repositories.org/ontologies/dspace/0.1.0#"
    xmlns:foaf="http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/"
    xmlns:void="http://rdfs.org/ns/void#"
    xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#" > 
  <rdf:Description rdf:about="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/10925">
    <dcterms:hasPart rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/123456789/10925/1/Group_versus_individual_performance_on_tasks_1973_KOPS8835.pdf"/>
    <dcterms:title>Group versus individual performance on tasks requiring ideational proficiency (brainstorming): a review</dcterms:title>
    <dc:format>application/pdf</dc:format>
    <dcterms:issued>1973</dcterms:issued>
    <dcterms:rights rdf:resource="https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/"/>
    <dcterms:abstract xml:lang="eng">In the experiments reviewed in this article the subjects are asked to produce ideas that are relevant to a given task request (e.g., possible consequences of a hypothetical event). After describing the specific task material and the performance measures used in the relevant research studies, some analytic background is given by outlining the cognitive resources required in this kind of experimental task and by listing the various factors that may come into play when subjects perform in groups (with discussion) instead of individually. We then review the studies comparing individual and group performance. In all ot these experiments the subjects were asked to work according to the rules of brainstorming, which prescribe that participants refrain from evaluating their ideas. This procedure purportedly results in superior group, relative to individual, performance. However, the empirical evidence clearly indicates that subjects brainstorming in small groups produce fewer ideas than the same number of subjects brainstorming individually. Less clear evidence is available on measures of quality, uniqueness and variety. The discussion considers factors that may be responsible for this inferiority of groups. The role of social inhibition receives particular attention also in terms of suggestions for research. Apart from the group-individual comparison we review the existing research concerning factors that may influence group performance on idea-generation tasks.</dcterms:abstract>
    <bibo:uri rdf:resource="http://kops.uni-konstanz.de/handle/123456789/10925"/>
    <dcterms:available rdf:datatype="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime">2011-03-25T09:23:56Z</dcterms:available>
    <dcterms:bibliographicCitation>First publ. in: European Journal of Social Psychology 3 (1973), 4, pp. 361-388</dcterms:bibliographicCitation>
    <dc:contributor>Trommsdorff, Gisela</dc:contributor>
    <dc:creator>Trommsdorff, Gisela</dc:creator>
    <dc:rights>terms-of-use</dc:rights>
    <void:sparqlEndpoint rdf:resource="http://localhost/fuseki/dspace/sparql"/>
    <dcterms:isPartOf rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/43"/>
    <dc:date rdf:datatype="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime">2011-03-25T09:23:56Z</dc:date>
    <dc:contributor>Lamm, Helmut</dc:contributor>
    <dc:creator>Lamm, Helmut</dc:creator>
    <dc:language>eng</dc:language>
    <foaf:homepage rdf:resource="http://localhost:8080/"/>
    <dspace:isPartOfCollection rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/server/rdf/resource/123456789/43"/>
    <dspace:hasBitstream rdf:resource="https://kops.uni-konstanz.de/bitstream/123456789/10925/1/Group_versus_individual_performance_on_tasks_1973_KOPS8835.pdf"/>
  </rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>

Bibliography of Konstanz

No