Performance similarities predict collective benefits in dyadic and triadic joint visual search

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Collective benefits, where group performance surpasses the best individual, are documented for various tasks.
• Previous research linked interindividual performance similarities to collective benefits, but this remained untested for visuospatial tasks.
• The impact of group size (dyads vs. triads) and communication restrictions on collective benefits in visuospatial tasks was unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if performance similarities predict collective benefits in joint visuospatial tasks.
• To determine if dyads and triads achieve collective benefits in a joint visual search task without information exchange.
• To compare the collective benefits achieved by dyads and triads.

Main Methods:

• Participants completed a joint visual search task individually, in dyads, and in triads.
• Crucially, participants were prohibited from exchanging any information during the task.
• Group performance was compared to individual performance and simulated independent performance.

Main Results:

• Dyads achieved a significant collective benefit.
• Triads outperformed individuals and dyads but did not surpass the best dyad pairing within the triad.
• Performance similarities reliably predicted collective benefits in both dyads and triads.
• Observed group performances closely aligned with simulations assuming independent action.

Conclusions:

• Performance similarity is a significant predictor of collective benefits in joint visuospatial tasks, even without communication.
• Dyads can achieve collective benefits, while triads show benefits but with nuances in performance comparison.
• Findings support the role of performance similarity in collective task achievement and lay groundwork for future research on information exchange in group tasks.