Interfaces that Influence Groups

Collaborating groups have enormous potential to produce higher quality output than individuals working alone, due to the pooling of resources, information, and skills. Yet social psychologists have determined that due to social factors, groups rarely harness this potential. This talk will present a series of applications that focus on revealing information about on-going social dynamics within a face-to-face group.

The purpose of these applications is to increase a group’s awareness of on-going social factors, with the intention that with greater awareness, groups can understand and improve upon their collaborative efforts. Experimental results evaluating group behavior indicate that these interfaces influence individual participation levels and the process of information sharing within a group.