Stress, Babble, and the Utilization of Leader Intellectual Abilities

Research has demonstrated that, under stress, leader abilities are often unrelated to or are detrimental to group performance. This study seeks to identify group process variables that account for such counter-intuitive findings. Researchers conducted a content analysis on written transcripts of group problem-solving sessions. Moderated multiple regression analyses indicated that, under stress, more intelligent or creative leaders suppressed the contribution of members by limiting member talking and idea generation. Idea suppression in particular led to 'babbling' (suggesting few ideas per unit of talk) on the part of members with more creative leaders. Stepwise multiple regression analyses subsequently revealed that member babbling significantly predicted group performance; groups whose members babbled less performed best. Keywords: Leadership, Groups, Intelligence, Stress, Creativity.