Group Creativity – An Oxymoron?

In the 1970's, the groupthink philosophy held that a desire to conform to the group leads to a lack of critical thinking by members of the group. The Scientific American article "Creativity is Collective" argued that "personal experiences and character traits alone may not be enough to produce a prodigy. It takes a village."

"…solidarity and conformity are essential for creative movement to progress because they allow individuals to cohere around a shared enterprise. In a 2006 experiment, a small group of college students were asked to participate in a mock planning process for an innovative child care center. Prior to the study, some of the groups went through a procedure that instilled a strong sense of shared social identity, whereas other groups were encouraged to think of themselves as individuals. As the groups discussed the fictitious project, they encountered mounting difficulties. First labor costs increased and an environmental impact statement was required. Next, they learned that the children’s sandbox had traces of toxic elements, parents were threatening to sue, and officials were holding up building approval. (Editor's note: these problems don’t sound too fictitious, do they?)

The result: Groups that had initially developed a shared social identity stayed upbeat about the project and continued to support it even as it ran into trouble. On the other hand, those coaxed to see themselves as individuals lost their enthusiasm for the child care center and increasingly argued to abort the project."

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