Improving Team Performance and Participation via Computer-mediated Turn Taking and Informational Prompts

The coordinated problem-solving behavior of four-person groups of previously unacquainted individuals was investigated using a novel methodological paradigm. group discussions during a simulated survival game were mediated by a computer program that resolved conflicts among group members in their requests to talk. Under a first-in/first-out (FIFO) rule, the first person to make a request was given the first opportunity to talk. When discussions were governed by an equal timesharing (EQTS) rule, conflicts among requesters were resolved by allowing the person to speak first who had spoken least up to that time. A second independent variable studied was the use of informational prompts consisting of periodic computer displays of the total participation time for each group member. In addition to examining the role of these factors in problem-solving, we also focused on an individual difference variable that typically biases level of participation, namely shyness, or communication apprehension. These variables were shown to influence each of three major types of outcome variables, extent of participation, perception of group process, and quality of team performance.