This Article Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tindale, R. S. Articles by Kameda, T. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

‘Social Sharedness’ as a Unifying Theme for Information Processing in Groups

Loyola University Chicago, rtindal{at}luc.edu

Tatsuya Kameda

Hokkaido University

Although much of the research on small groups in social psychology has emphasized cognitive, information-processing tasks (decision-making and problem solving), only recently have groups been conceptualized as information-processing systems. Partially due to this new conceptualization, group research is on the rise, yet much of this research is discipline specific. Few attempts have been made to integrate this research to provide common themes or frameworks across disciplinary boundaries. We propose that one potential unifying theme underlying much of the recent research on groups is ‘social sharedness’: the degree to which cognitions, preferences, identities, etc. are shared and are being shared within groups. Through a targeted review of the literature, we attempt to demonstrate that social sharedness is central to understanding group decision-making, provides a tie between past and current group research, and can serve a unifying function for future endeavors.

Key Words: cognition • consensus • group performance • social influence

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. M. Van Swol Perceived Importance of Information: The Effects of Mentioning Information, Shared Information Bias, Ownership Bias, Reiteration, and Confirmation Bias Group Processes Intergroup Relations, April 1, 2007; 10(2): 239 - 256. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Ginman, S. Ek, K. Eriksson-Backa, M. Mustonen, S. Torkkola, K. Tuominen, and M. Wikgren Health Communication and Knowledge Construction Health Informatics Journal, December 1, 2003; 9(4): 301 - 313. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. C. Thomas-Hunt, T. Y. Ogden, and M. A. Neale Who's Really Sharing? Effects of Social and Expert Status on Knowledge Exchange Within Groups Management Science, April 1, 2003; 49(4): 464 - 477. [Abstract] [PDF]