When solving a problem or making a decision, small groups can potentially benefit from having members who can contribute a diversity of knowledge and insights. Previous research suggests, however, that decision.making groups (i.e., groups asked to make a judgment) often fail to consider information that is held by single members. Face.to.face, unstructured discussion focuses on information that all members already know, and, as a result, groups frequently overlook an option that is favored by their collective knowledge. The proposed research will examine the extent to which this phenomenon generalizes to groups that are solving a problem with a demonstratably correct answer. Additionally, the research will examine the role of strategically composed minority factions in facilitating more effective information exchange during group discussion. By tracking the flow and impact of information during discussion, the research will also provide data needed to refine the DISCUSS model of group decision making. This model simulates the sampling and use of information during face.to.face discussion en route to a group decision. It provides a convenient way of representing the complexities of group interaction and of examining the implications of changes in group composition (e.g., size and factional representation) and task demands (e.g., number of decision options or possible solutions and information load).
