Time and again research has shown that people think of more new ideas on their own (bold added) than they do in a group. The false belief that people are more creative in groups has been dubbed by psychologists the ‘illusion of group productivity”. Why does this illusion persist?
Nijstad, B.A., Stroebe, W. & Lodewijkx, H.F.M. (2006) “… suggest that working in a group may lead to a sense of continuous activity. This may provide group members with the idea that they are productive, because they feel that the group as a whole is making progress, even if they themselves are not contributing”.
They offer a corollary explanation that when working alone, people know when they fail to come up with a new idea.
Hmm, teachers looking for a thesis or dissertation topic. This study seems to contrast with the popular use in schools of group activities, collaboration, and group learning, including of student blogging. Or is the illusion of group productivity more real for some reason in K-12 schools than in higher education? This topic could grow into an interesting study.
