Shared Information, Cognitive Load, and Group Memory

• Published in: Group processes & intergroup relations Vol. 5; no. 1; pp. 5 - 18
• Main Authors: Tindale, R. Scott, Sheffey, Susan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications 01.01.2002; Sage
• Subjects: Classes, stratification, mobility; Cognition; Group Dynamics; Group interaction; Group performance; Human behaviour; Illinois; Information; Information Processing; Knowledge; Memory; Psychology; Social organization. Social system. Social structure; Sociology; Undergraduate Students; group performance; information sharing; group memory; Group; Statistical analysis; Microsociology; Individual; Interaction; Memory; Information; Social Psychology; Sociology of communication
• ISSN: 1368-4302; 1461-7188
• DOI: 10.1177/1368430202005001535

One of the key findings concerning how groups process information is the ‘common knowledge effect’—information shared by many group members plays a larger role in group process and performance than unshared information. However, in an information rich environment, assigning all information to all members may overload each member’s cognitive capabilities. Thus, the question addressed here is how to optimally assign information to group members. Following a model proposed by Zajonc and Smoke (1959), we assessed the effects of information assignment redundancy and group interaction on group memory performance. Participants in five-person groups either received a full list of consonant-verb-consonant non-word trigrams to memorize, or a partial list with each trigram distributed to two group members. Groups recalled the trigrams as either coacting or interacting groups. In terms of correct recall, coacting groups outperformed interacting groups, and partial redundancy produced better recall than total redundancy. However, intrusion errors were greatly reduced by group interaction and/or a reduction in the cognitive load on the individual group members (i.e. partial redundancy). Groups in the partial redundancy condition tended to perform near optimal levels. Implications for future research on information distribution in groups are discussed.