Groupthink/Transactive Memory + Gaming

Group think is when a group of people work together, collectively towards one common goal – but with minimum conflict. This can be beneficial to a group because when all members are aware of the way the work within the group in order to be more effective, the overall out come can be better than one person working, or several people working without concern for others. However, when everyone is trying to get along – and work together, there can be serious retardations in the progress of the group in terms or originality and “out of the box” thinking. If everyone is trying to get along, then they will all try to stay within one range to keep everyone happy, this approach with limit the amount of conflict, but prove very ineffective for coming up with new, innovative techniques. Because no one is really explaining why they think what the think, further developments in each thought will be hindered by a lack of communication. If one were to take the ideas of someone else, and modify them, then real progress would be possible. In something like group think, the “to each his own” mentality will not open its self to combined thoughts and original solutions.
Transactive memory is a useful process where each person in the group is kind of responsible for remembering, and mastering their own area. Though disadvantages can come out of this, I believe this is more a positive, helpful technique than a harmful one.
Both these techniques are obvious in the gaming world. In order to work as a team, in person or virtually, people must compensate and compromise. Using both transactive memory and group think, people are able to collaborate effectively, and quickly, in order to achieve what ever it is they are working towards.