Abstract
A study by Shaw (7) some twenty years ago is frequently cited by social scientists to support the generalization that groups are superior to individuals in problem-solving. Shaw suggests that personal interaction within the group is responsible for the superior performance of groups. This article re-examines her data in the light of two models which propose that the difference in quality of solution between group and individual performance is solely a matter of ability. It is shown that Shaw's data may be considered to have been an outcome of behavior postulated by the models. Since Shaw's observations relate to a special population and to special kinds of problems, the proposed models may not be appropriate under differing experimental conditions. In fact, Lorgeet al. (4) have indicated that experimental demonstration of the superiority of groups over individuals in problem-solving depends not only on the kind of group but also on the kind of problem to be solved. In addition, the diversity of transfer of training for groups and for individuals is considered.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Cook, T. W. Amount of material and difficulty of problem solving. II. The disc transfer problem.J. exp. Psychol., 1937,20, 288–296.
Eisenhart, C. Inverse sine transformation of proportions. In Eisenhart, Hastay, and Wallis, Techniques of statistical analysis, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1947.
Kasner, E. and Newman, J. Mathematics and the imagination. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1940.
Lorge, I., Fox, D., Davitz, J., Weltz, P., Herrold, K. Products of individual and of group: Review of literature. Unpublished manuscript developed in connection with Contract AF 33 (038) 28792, Human Resources Research Institute, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
National Bureau of Standards. Tables of the binomial probability distribution, Applied Mathematics Series 6, January 1950.
Paulson, E. and Wallis, A. Planning and analyzing experiments for comparing two percentages. In Eisenhart, Hastay, and Wallis, Techniques of statistical analysis, McGraw-Hill, 1947.
Shaw, M. E. Comparison of individuals and small groups in the rational solution of complex problems.Amer. J. Psychol., 1932,44, 491–504.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported in part by the Office of Naval Research under Contract N6 onr 266 (21) and the Air Force Personnel and Training Research Center under Contract AF 18(600)-341.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lorge, I., Solomon, H. Two models of group behavior in the solution of eureka-type problems. Psychometrika 20, 139–148 (1955). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02288986
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02288986