Psychological and System Variables in Team Problem Solving: Experimental Studies of Computer-Mediated Participation

摘要

A computer-mediated message handling system was developed and refined over the course of three experiments. Turn-taking rules and informational prompts (on-going feedback on rates of participation) were systematically varied during discussions held by four-person experimental teams engaged in problem-solving activities. Variations in shyness (or communication apprehension) and gender composition of the teams were found to influence the process of team problem solving. The extent of individual participation, perceptions of and social-emotional reactions to the group, and the quality of team decisions were modified in some instances by our interventions. We argue for the potential value of studying computer-mediated message systems and for their use as remedial interventions to help balance inequities in participation caused by learned patterns of inhibition, dominance and deference. Suggestions for future research utilizing this system are also presented. (Author)