Group Problem Solving

By: Patrick R. Laughlin

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Paperback | 26 April 2011

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176 Pages

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23.4 x 15.2 x 235

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Experimental research by social and cognitive psychologists has established that cooperative groups solve a wide range of problems better than the average individual. Cooperative problem solving groups of scientific researchers, auditors, financial analysts, air crash investigators, and forensic art experts are increasingly important in our complex and interdependent society. This comprehensive textbook--the first of its kind in decades--presents important theories and experimental research about group problem solving. The book focuses on tasks that have demonstrably correct solutions within mathematical, logical, scientific, or verbal systems, including algebra problems, analogies, vocabulary, and logical reasoning problems.

The book explores basic concepts in group problem solving, social combination models, group memory, group ability and world knowledge tasks, rule induction problems, letters-to-numbers problems, evidence for positive group-to-individual transfer, and social choice theory. The conclusion proposes ten generalizations that are supported by the theory and research on group problem solving.

"Group Problem Solving" is an essential resource for decision-making research in social and cognitive psychology, but also extremely relevant to multidisciplinary and multicultural problem-solving teams in organizational behavior, business administration, management, and behavioral economics.The first comprehensive textbook on group problem solving in decades Written by a recognized authority in the field An indispensable resource for social and cognitive psychologists, and social scientists interested in decision making and experimental methods

Industry Reviews

"Humans solve problems in groups. For almost one hundred years, psychologists have conducted studies of group problem solving, and in this book, Patrick Laughlin reviews the results of these efforts. A particularly strong aspect of Group Problem Solving is the use of mathematical models to show how group members combine their reasoning and prior knowledge in order to reach a consensus. This book will interest social psychologists, industrial-organizational psychologists, and those who want illustrations of how mathematical modeling can guide psychological research."-Earl Hunt, University of Washington
"It is good to see this concise and well-organized textbook become available as there hasn't been one on this subject in decades. The research is solid and among the most rigorous and meticulous of experimental work being conducted on group performance."-Verlin B. Hinsz, North Dakota State University
"There is no better person to write this book than Patrick Laughlin. His work on group problem solving over the past four decades has been some of the most insightful and thorough research ever conducted on this topic. This excellent book will find a prominent place on my bookshelf."-R. Scott Tindale, Loyola University, Chicago

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Psychology Social Psychology Business & Management Management & Management Techniques Management Decision Making Cognition & Cognitive Psychology Learning Psychological Theory, Systems, Schools of Thought & Viewpoints Cognitivism, Cognitive Theory Memory

Acknowledgments	p. xv
Basic Concepts in Group Problem Solving	p. 1
Group Task, Structure, Process, and Product	p. 1
Interpersonal Influence Processes	p. 3
Group Tasks	p. 3
Additive, Compensatory, Conjunctive, Disjunctive, and Complementary	p. 3
Divisible and Unitary	p. 5
Maximizing and Optimizing	p. 5
Intellective and Judgmental	p. 5
Summary	p. 6
Laboratory Experimental Research on Group Problem Solving	p. 7
Overview of Chapters	p. 7
Social Combination Models	p. 8
Marjorie Shaw's Classic Study	p. 8
Experimental Designs	p. 10
The Lorge and Solomon Model A	p. 10
The Lorge and Solomon Model A as an Application of the Binomial Theorem	p. 12
Smoke and Zajonc: Group Decision Schemes	p. 12
Thomas and Fink: Extension to More Than Two Response Alternatives	p. 15
Davis: Social Decision Scheme Theory	p. 16
Model Testing and Model Fitting	p. 19
Summary	p. 20
Memory and Group Problem Solving	p. 22
Recognition Memory	p. 23
Transactive Memory	p. 25
No Communication during Learning or Retrieval	p. 26
Communication during Retrieval	p. 27
Communication during Learning and Retrieval	p. 29
Nine Propositions	p. 31
Cognitive Interdependence and Convergent Expectations	p. 32
Shared and Unshared Information	p. 35
Optimal Assignment of Items to Members	p. 35
Shared and Unshared Knowledge	p. 37
Information Sampling Model	p. 37
Solving a Problem versus Making a Judgment	p. 38
Social Validation of Information	p. 38
Common Knowledge Effect	p. 40
Group Judgment	p. 40
Group Choice	p. 41
Jury Memory	p. 42
Summary	p. 43
Group Ability Composition on World Knowledge Problems	p. 45
English Vocabulary	p. 45
General Achievement	p. 52
Remote Verbal Associations	p. 53
Homogeneity and Heterogeneity of Group Member Ability	p. 54
Conclusions on Group Ability Composition	p. 55
Collective Induction	p. 57
An Inductive Rule-Learning Task	p. 58
Collective versus Individual Induction: Effects of Increasing Evidence	p. 58
Collective versus Individual Induction: Effects of Increasing Hypotheses	p. 65
Collective Induction with Increasing Hypotheses and Increasing Evidence	p. 67
Positive Hypothesis Tests and Negative Hypothesis Tests	p. 70
Simultaneous Collective and Individual Induction	p. 72
Social Combination Processes	p. 76
A Theory of Collective Induction	p. 80
Collective Induction in Competitive Auctions	p. 82
Letters-to-Numbers Problems	p. 87
Letters-to-Numbers Problems	p. 87
Letters-to-Numbers Strategies	p. 88
Two-Letter Substitution Strategy	p. 89
Multiletter Substitution Strategy	p. 89
Known Answer Strategy	p. 90
Combined Known Answer and Multiletter Substitution Strategy	p. 91
Groups Perform Better Than the Best Individuals	p. 91
Trials to Solution	p. 91
Letters per Equation	p. 92
Letters Identified per Equation	p. 92
Two-Letter Substitution Strategy	p. 93
Known Answer Strategy	p. 93
Summary of Results	p. 94
Discussion	p. 95
Groups Perform Better Than the Best Individuals: Informative Equations and Effective Strategies	p. 96
Five Instruction Conditions	p. 96
Trials to Solution	p. 98
Equations with Minimal Letters	p. 98
Groups Perform Better Than the Best Individuals: Effects of Group Size	p. 101
Previous Research on Group Size on Intellective Tasks	p. 101
Experimental Design	p. 103
Trials to Solution	p. 103
Why Do Groups Perform Better Than the Best Individuals on Letters-to-Numbers Problems?	p. 107
Group-to-individual Problem-Solving Transfer	p. 109
Specific Transfer	p. 109
Analogies	p. 109
Mathematical Problems	p. 111
General Transfer	p. 113
Mathematical Problems	p. 113
Brainteasers	p. 114
Logical Implication	p. 115
Four Issues in Group-to-individual Transfer	p. 116
Design	p. 119
Summary	p. 122
Social Choice Theory	p. 124
Basic Concepts of Social Choice Theory	p. 125
Motions (Alternatives) and Preference C For-Against Matrices	p. 125
Sequential Pairwise Voting and the Paradox of Voting	p. 126
Runoff Elections	p. 128
Rank Order Voting	p. 128
Approval Voting	p. 130
The Median Voter Theorem	p. 131
Condorcet Jury Theorem	p. 131
Experimental Evidence for Social Choice Theory	p. 132
The Median Voter Theorem	p. 132
Agenda Influence	p. 134
Condorcet Jury Theorem	p. 136
Successive Majorities in a Hierarchical System	p. 137
A Remarkable Concurrence	p. 139
Social Choice Theory and Group Problem Solving: The Constitutional Convention of 1787	p. 140
Conclusions	p. 141
Generalizations	p. 141
Retrospective and Prospective	p. 142
References	p. 145
Index	p. 155
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Group Problem Solving

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

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