Supervisor: reza farrokhnia
topic
Brainstorming is a widely used technique for stimulating creativity and facilitating idea generation in various fields such as education, engineering, and entrepreneurship. This technique can be used in both individual and group settings. However, scholars assert that the most effective brainstorming sessions involve an alternation of individual and group brainstorming, also known as "hybrid brainstorming" (Korde & Paulus, 2017). Many scholars have explored the effect of different hybrid settings such as individual-to-group and group-to-individual (G-I) on the quality and quantity of generated ideas. In general, the findings suggest that brainstorming in hybrid settings that incorporate a G-I sequence leads to superior outcomes compared to other settings. The reason for such superiority is primarily due to individuals performing better after participating in group ideation on a similar problem (Korde, 2014; Korde & Paulus, 2017). The cognitive changes that occur during group interactions in these hybrid settings likely contribute to improved performance in the subsequent individual phase (Korde & Paulus, 2017).
However, it is important to acknowledge that not every format of group work leads to the cognitive changes necessary for enhanced individual performance. In scenarios where more active or knowledgeable members dominate task completion, less active or less informed members, often labeled "free riders," may not experience a notable improvement in their individual performance. Furthermore, the degree to which individuals engage with and process shared ideas during ideation plays a crucial role in facilitating cognitive changes, thereby improving their individual ideation later on. This underscores the significance of group dynamics in determining the effectiveness of hybrid brainstorming settings using the G-I sequence. As such, research is needed to examine interactions during the group phase to identify interactive elements that enhance individual performance in the subsequent phase. In this regard, there are at least two promising research directions:
- A study could investigate the quality of interactions during the group phase by applying Curseu et al.'s (2015) concept of "group synergy." This concept measures the effectiveness of collective induction processes in groups that surpass the performance of their best member. Curseu et al. (2015) found that members of synergetic groups could significantly enhance their decision competencies after group interactions, with those in highly synergetic groups gaining the most cognitive benefits. Similarly, the study could aim to identify the collective synergetic qualities in successful groups that help their former members perform better during the subsequent individual brainstorming phase.
- Another study could examine the correlation between the degree of attention individuals give to shared ideas during the group phase and their performance in the subsequent individual phase. This could involve using eye-tracking technology to observe where participants' focus lies during group discussions. Eye-tracking offers objective data on an individual's attentional engagement with shared ideas (see Michinov et al., 2015). By correlating the eye-tracking data with the individual's performance in the later phase, the study could discern the impact of attentive engagement on subsequent cognitive processing and idea generation.
Please note: The proposed studies can be conducted on an online brainstorming platform (https://ideation-hub.nl/login) developed for a research project.
references
Curseu, P. L., Meslec, N., Pluut, H., & Lucas, G. (2015). Cognitive synergy in groups and group-to-individual transfer of decision-making competencies. Frontiers in Psychology, 0, 1375. https://doi.org/10.3389/FPSYG.2015.01375
Korde, R. (2014). Hybrid brainwriting: The efficacy of alternating between individual and group brainstorming and the effect of individual differences.
Korde, R., & Paulus, P. (2017). Alternating individual and group idea generation: Finding the elusive synergy. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 70, 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2016.11.002
Michinov, N., Jamet, E., Métayer, N., & Le Hénaff, B. (2015). The eyes of creativity: Impact of social comparison and individual creativity on performance and attention to others’ ideas during electronic brainstorming. Computers in Human Behavior, 42, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.04.037