Title: Do groups make better decisions than individuals? - Human Interest
Headings: Do groups make better decisions than individuals?
Do groups make better decisions than individuals?
Do groups make better decisions than individuals?
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Content: Shared Information Bias: One well-established finding in the scientific literature is that group discussions tend to focus on information that is shared by all group members, often at the expense of information that is essential but only held by a minority; and
Amplifying Biases: Groups often amplify the initial preference held by the majority of its members – an effect known as group polarisation. Other pitfalls are that of social loafing and competing goals between the individual and the group. For example, some individuals may be more concerned with their reputation than making a good decision. Thus, there is no hard and fast rule as to when to make use of group or individual decision-making, as it is context based. For example, if there is an emergency and a decision needs to be made quickly, individual decision-making might be preferred. Individual decision-making may also be appropriate if the individual in question has all the information needed to make the decision and if implementation problems are not expected. On the other hand, if one person does not have all the information and skills needed to make a decision, if implementing the decision will be difficult without the involvement of those who will be affected by the decision, and if time urgency is more modest, then decision making by a group may be more effective.