Modeling the entry of shared and unshared information into group discussion - A review and BASIC language computer program

Prior to discussion, members of decision-making groups often possess a certain amount of decision-relevant information that others in the group do not hold. This is referred to as unshared information and stands in contrast to the shared information that all group members possess. One objective of group discussion is to enable members to exchange their unshared information. Research suggests, however; that groups often discuss more of their shared than their unshared information overall, and that they discuss their shared information first. A dynamic information sampling model that predicts these results is reviewed. Several empirical tests of this model are summarized, and a computer program that operationalizes the model is described. The computer program provides an efficient means of generating specific predictions for empirical studies and for exploring the expected impact on group discussion of varying the model's input parameters.