W11 Group decision-making✅

Question 1

What are the 4 downsides of group decision-making?

Answer 1

1. Conformity (e.g. the line test)
   -> Many ps are subjected to conformity (saying the group’s wrong answer) even though they can make the correct decision themselves
2. Authority (e.g. plane crash)
   -> people with lower rank failed to speak up or challenge the idea of a senior/authority figure
3. Polarisation:
   -> the mean of individual’s decision making is less extreme than the group’s decision
4. Groupthink:
   -> Cohesive groups striving for unanimity and avoiding conflict or criticism.
   -> Low degree of variability between members

Question 2

What are the benefits of group decision- making?

Answer 2

1. Wisdom of the crowd: When grouped together, the mean estimate is more accurate than individual guess.
2. Improved reasoning:

• Evidence 1: Wason card selection task (testing error of prediction)
  -> group makes correct decision (after discussion, not by polarisation or groupthink)
• Evidence 2: groups decision will outperform best individual of the group
  -> better at solving using complex strategy
  -> EXCEPT for group of 2

Question 3

What are the 4 evidence to support “wisdom of the crowd” benefit?

Answer 3

• Evidence 1: Medical diagnosis: groups of doctors will outperform the best doctor ONLY when similar (high) level of diagnostic accuracy
• Evidence 2: Surprisingly popular answer (in quiz) will outperform both group and individual’s answer.
• Evidence 3 (dialetic bootstrapping/group): Crowds are better at making adjustments:
  -> good at cancelling out random error
  -> not as good for systematic error
• Evidence 4: collective rationality -> when making decision as a group, irrational individual will make better rational decision

Question 4

What are the two traits/theme that dictate whether group decision-making fails or successful?

Answer 4

Independence and diversity.

• Overridden when decision-making fails
• Necessary for the success of wisdom of the crowd phenomena.