How Does Group Size Influence Problem Solving?

When it comes to solving problems, are two (or more) heads really better than one? Solving problems on your own can have its own strengths and weaknesses, but what influence does group size have on the process? Learn more about some of the research on group problem solving, including how the size of the group may influence problem solving effectiveness.

概述

• One study published in the人格与社会心理学杂志万博maxbetx官网登陆looked at the effects of group size on problem solving.
• Researchers compared the problem-solving performance of small groups to that of individuals working alone.
• The results of the study indicate that groups of three solve problems better than even the best individuals working alone.
• 这些结果的含义是什么？这些发现可能在学术界有用，其中问题解决群体可能是有效的学习工具。科学，医疗保健和业务的团体和团队也可能发现这些技术也很有用。

Are Groups Better at Solving Problems?

是个人或团体更好解决问题s? According to one study,groups of three to five people perform better than individuals解决复杂问题时。研究，发表在人格与社会心理学杂志万博maxbetx官网登陆暗示三人群能够比单独工作的最佳个人更好地解决困难问题。

研究怎么样？

Researchers had 760 student participants from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign solve letters-to-numbers code problems, working either individually or as part of a group. The study notes that there is a surprisingly small amount of research on the effect of group size on problem solving. Earlier research suggested that groups perform better than individuals on problems of average difficulty. The current study assessed performance by comparing the number of trials needed to solve the problem as well as the number of errors made. The results demonstrated that groups of sizes three, four, and five performed better than individuals at solving the problems.

In a press release from the American Psychological Association, lead researcher Patrick Laughlin attributed the improved performance of groups to "the ability of people to work together to generate and adopt correct responses, reject erroneous responses, and effectively process information."

该研究还归因于“小组成员将其能力和资源组合在高度智力互补群组任务上的相当数量的人中更好地表现出优秀的人数和资源，以”集团成员组建其能力和资源的成功。“

虽然研究人员已经假设两个两组会超越相当数量的个人，但研究结果实际上表明，两人的群体与单独工作的个人在同一水平上进行。此外，虽然三年，四人，四人和五个人比同等数量的“最佳个人”和双人群体表现出来，但这三组在表现方面没有彼此不同。因此，本研究的结果表明“三个群体成员是必要的，并且足以使团体比最佳独立人数更好。”

Implications of the Research

本研究在学者，科学，医学和业务方面具有许多影响。结果表明，在解决需要使用逻辑，口头和定性理解的中等困难问题时，三组更有效，更准确。目前研究的作者表明，需要进一步研究，以确定三人组是否在解决其他类型的问题方面更有效，以及在组内是否有效问题，然后转移到各个问题解决。

This research can have a range of implications in fields such as education, military, and business.

A Word From Verywell

Research suggests that small groups may actually be better at solving problems in some situations. While "group work" often has a bad reputation, there are situations and problems that may actually benefit from the input of others. If you have a problem to solve, consider how bringing in other people and working as a team might influence the outcome. The advantage of working with a group often comes from the shared ideas and being able to draw upon the experience and expertise of multiple individuals.