The Effect of Team Size and Intermember Communication on Decision-Making Performance

Abstract

The performance of single individuals, two-man teams without intercommunication, and two-man teams with intercommunication was compared in a complex decision-making task. The task was an operational "game" derived from radar approach control. Forty-eight students participated. The experimental design utilized a subject x conditions balanced Latin square having six independent replications. Two-man team performance was superior to that of single individuals, but not proportionately so. Interpretation of the data in terms of productivity per person showed the person working alone to be significantly superior to the person working in a two-man team. Teams with communication were slightly superior to teams having no communication. The explanation of the results of the individual vs. individuals in a team I comparison is hypothesized to lie in the diversion of time and productive capacity in the team situatlon away from the prime task and into integrative and coordinative behavior.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1959
Accession Number
AD0215621

Entities

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  • J. S. Kidd
  • Robert G. Kinkade

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  • Ohio State University

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  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems

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  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.