PI:
Prof. Dr. Ursula Piontkowski
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Keil
Staff:
Dipl.-Psych Juliane Hartmann
When groups pool the specific (unshared) knowledge of their individual group-members, their potential to fulfil a task successfully should be higher than the potential of individuals. However, in the processes of information and knowledge integration particular losses occur that are due to coordination-, motivation and information problems. In computer-mediated communication these process-losses look different than in face-to-face interaction. Some types of process-losses are reduced or do not occur at all due to features inherent in the media. On the other hand just these features might augment other types of process-losses. The goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of the interplay of task and tool in order to accommodate the process-losses in computer-mediated groups and to point out possibilities of process-gains during knowledge-integration in computer-mediated groups.
In the experiments of the first research period factors were varied that referred either to the structural conditions prior discussion or to the process of information exchange within discussion. In the second research period factors are investigated that particularly refer to coordination processes and that might have an impact on pooling unshared information. These namely are participation distribution, communication structure, simultaneity of production and reception, and coherence. We assume that encouraging an equal participation will improve information exchange and knowledge integration. Furthermore the effects of communication structure (communication patterns, structuring aids) on coordinated information pooling are examined. With reference to simultaneity we expect that particular forms of sequencing production and reception promote the exchange and integration of information. Finally the effects of coherence management and elicitation promotion on information integration in the group are investigated.