Time Pressure Affects Process and Performance in Hidden-Profile Groups

Abstract

In the present experiment, members of three-person groups read information about two hypothetical cholesterol-reducing drugs and collectively chose the better drug under high or low time pressure. Information was distributed to members as a hidden profile such that the information that supported the better drug was unshared before discussion. Correct solution of the hidden profile required members to pool their unshared knowledge. Some groups discussed the drug information from memory (memory condition). Others kept the drug information during discussion, accessing sheets that either indicated which pieces of information were shared and unshared (informed access condition) or did not (access condition). Low time pressure groups chose the better drug more often than high time pressure groups, particularly when groups had access to information. Groups in the informed access condition chose the correct drug more often than groups in the memory and access conditions. Memory groups showed the typical discussion bias favoring shared over unshared information, whereas groups with access to information during discussion reversed this bias. This effect was stronger under low than high time pressure.