Errors in Collaborative Problem-Solving

March 30, 2009 by sean.

New research from Brigham Young University on collaboration reveals that diverse groups are more effective problem solving even though they believe they aren’t [via Newswise]:

The experiment also revealed a fallacy in the assumptions we make about our own effectiveness in groups. The subjects in the experiment were members of different fraternities and sororities. In general, when the newcomer was from the same sorority or fraternity as the other team members, the group reported that it worked well together, but was less likely to correctly solve the problem.

In contrast, when the newcomer was a member of a rival sorority or fraternity, the opposite was true — these groups felt they worked together less effectively, yet they significantly outperformed socially homogenous groups.

“What’s really distinct about this research is that, from a self-reporting perspective, what people perceive to be beneficial turns out to be dead wrong, Liljenquist says. “The teams that felt they worked least effectively together were ironically the top performers!”

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