Experimental Study and Modeling of Three Classes of Collective Problem-Solving Methods

People working together can be very successful problem-solvers. Many real-life examples, from Wikipedia to citizen science projects, show that, under the right conditions, crowds can find remarkable solutions to complex problems. Yet, joining the capabilities of many people can be challenging. What factors make some groups more successful than others? How does the nature of the problem and the structure of the environment influence the group's performance? To answer these questions, I consider problem-solving as a search process -- a situation in which individuals are searching for a good solution. I describe and compare three different methods for structuring groups: (1) non-interacting groups, where individuals search independently without exchanging any information, (2) social groups, where individuals freely exchange information during their search, and (3) solution-influenced groups, where individuals repeatedly contribute to a shared collective solution. First, I introduce the idea of transmission chains - a specific type of solution-influenced group where individuals tackle the problem one after another, each one starting from the solution of its predecessor. I apply this method to binary choice problems and compare it to majority voting rules in non-interacting groups. The results show that transmission chains are superior in environments where individual accuracy is low and confidence is a reliable indicator of performance. This type of environment, however, is rarely observed in two experimental datasets. Then, I evaluate the performance of transmission chains for problems that have a complex structure, such as multidimensional optimization tasks. Again, I use non-interacting groups as a comparison, this time by selecting the best out of multiple independent solutions. Simulations and experimental data show that transmission chains outperform independent groups under two environmental conditions: either when problems are rather easy, or when group members are relatively unskilled. Next, I focus on social groups, where individuals influence each other during the search. To understand the social dynamics that operate in such groups, I conduct two studies: I first examine how people search for a solution independently from others, and then study how this individual process is impacted by social influence. The first study presents experimental data to show that the individual search behavior can be described by a take-the-best heuristic, that is, a simple rule-of-thumb that ignores all but one cue at a time. This heuristic reproduces a variety of behavioral patterns observed in different environments. Then, I extend this heuristic to include social interactions where multiple individuals exchange information during their search. My results show that, in this case, individuals tend to converge towards similar solutions. This induces a collective search dilemma: compared to non-interacting groups, the quality of the average individual's solution is improved at the expense of the best solution of the group. Nevertheless, further analyses show that this dilemma disappears for more difficult problems. Overall, this thesis shows that no collective problem-solving method is superior to the others in all environments and for all problems. Instead, the performance of each method depends on numerous factors, such as the nature of the task, the problem difficulty, the group composition, and the skill levels of the individuals. My work helps understanding the role of these different factors and their influence on collective problem-solving

Collaborative Memory For Serial Order

Although the encoding, storage, and retrieval of information between groups has been examined in both recall and recognition memory; surprisingly, there is no existing data regarding collaborative memory outcomes using a reconstruction task. In an attempt to fill this gap in the literature, participants assigned to one of four retrieval conditions were asked to study the order of unrelated word-lists in preparation for a memory test. Some reconstructed the lists by alternating turns with their group members (turn-taking). Others were forced to reconstruct the lists from the first item-position to the last item-position in addition to taking turns with group members (restricted). Still, others were alloto complete the reconstruction task any way they chose (free). A fourth retrieval condition (nominal) was created for comparison by pooling non-redundant responses from two participants who worked alone. Dyads in both the free and restricted retrieval conditions provided more accurate reconstructions than dyads in the turn-taking retrieval condition. In addition, free and restricted groups shono differences from nominal groups with regard to serial order memory. These findings demonstrate that collaborative inhibition can be eliminated in memory for serial order using a reconstruction task and are discussed in terms of implications for existing theoretical models of collaborative memory

Social Aspects of Discussions Affect Capitulation and Susceptibility to False Memories

People talk. People talk to entertain each other, to divulge news, and to gain support. Additionally, people talk about shared experiences to figure out what "really" happened. But does talking about the past change what we remember? That is the overarching question of the research presented in this thesis. People remember the same events in different ways; consequently, when people discuss the past, they might come across new information. To examine how discussion affects people's memories, we must know what happened during a target event and must create conflicts in the discussion to see how those conflicts affect people's memories. To overcome these challenges, I used the MORI technique to present different viewers with different movies on the same screen at the same time (Mori, 2003; 2007). The MORI technique allows people to feel that they have shared an experience--they sit side-by-side and ostensibly watch the same--yet systematic differences are introduced into their memories, and the effect of those differences can be tracked through discussion. I report a series of experiments that examine the efficacy of the MORI technique and investigate how different social factors contribute to false memories. Each experiment used a variation of the same basic three-stage procedure. First, pairs of people each unwittingly watched slightly different versions of an event. Next, pairs answered questions about the event together; some questions guided them to discuss details for which they had seen contradictory information. Finally, subjects completed a memory test individually to determine what each person really remembered about the event. In short, when people watched a movie via the MORI technique, they could see and remember the details of the movie (Experiments 1A and 1B), and they did not notice or implicitly remember details from the alternate (blocked) movie version--the version their partner saw (Experiments 3A and 3B). Additionally, discussion corrupted people's memories (Experiments 2A, 2B, 4, 5 and 6). 'People were influenced by their partner's suggestions: they falsely remembered details from their partner's version of the event, even though those details contradicted what they personally saw. Consistent with the Source Monitoring Framework, the corrupting influence of the discussion depended on social factors in the interaction (Johnson, Hashtroudi, & Lindsay, 1993; Lindsay, 2008). For instance, people were more likely to remember false details that their romantic partner suggested than false details that a stranger suggested (Experiment 4). Additionally, leading people to believe that their counterpart's vision was better or worse than their own led them to be more or less influenced by their counterpart's false suggestions (Experiment 6). In sum, when people share an experience and discuss it they can come to remember seeing things that they were only told about after the event. In other words, corroboration does not equal accuracy. I discuss the possible-beneficial-mechanisms underlying these memory errors; draw parallels between my research and research on social influence, group remembering and transactive memory systems; discuss theoretical, methodological and practical implications, and suggest potential applications of my findings and avenues for future research

The Winonan

https://openriver.winona.edu/thewinonan1990s/1225/thumbnail.jp

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes 2012-09-28

The official meeting minutes of Bowling Green State University\u27s Board of Trustees

Deliberative Democracy: The Effects of Participation on Political Efficacy

Thesis (PhD) - Indiana University, Public Affairs, 2007This dissertation examines the relationship between deliberative democracy, the idea that public decisions should be made by discussion among free and equal citizens, and internal and external political efficacy. Internal political efficacy is the extent to which people feel they can competently participate in politics; external political efficacy is the extent to which people feel that government is responsive to their interests. Some scholars assert that deliberative democracy can increase perceptions of political efficacy; however, little empirical research has tested this proposition. To help fill that research gap, this study examines one deliberative process, the AmericaSpeaks 21st Century Town Meeting as convened by United Agenda for Children (UAC), a coalition of public and private organizations who joined to ensure a positive future for all the children (from birth to age 21) of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The primary research question is: What impact does participation in the AmericaSpeaks 21st Century Town Meeting have on participants' sense of internal and external political efficacy? This study uses a quasi-experimental research design, with survey data collected at three points in time from two non-equivalent comparison groups (participants and non-participants). Multiple analyses are conducted, including various regression models, Heckman treatment effect models, and propensity score matching models. The study has three major findings. First, before the Town Meeting, participants have significantly lower perceptions of external political efficacy than non-participants. Second, participation in the Town Meeting increases participants' perceptions of both internal and external political efficacy; however, only the increase in external political efficacy is statistically significant. Finally, the increase in external political efficacy persists over time. In sum, these results suggest that participation in this deliberative democracy process increases perceptions of political efficacy, and particularly perceptions of external political efficacy. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed

The Winonan

https://openriver.winona.edu/thewinonan1990s/1213/thumbnail.jp

The Cayugan 1971

This is the yearbook for the Ithaca College Class of 1971.https://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/cayugan_1970s/1002/thumbnail.jp