Group Think and Gaming

The idea of group think is understood to be individuals working together for the common good, but also relying on these others to come to a consensus. In a group think situation the majority of the group usually does not have to put in 100% of their creative thought or effort because they think that someone else in the group will make a profound conclusion, so that they will not have to. Group think can be related to gaming situations; many people game in groups, either all sitting together in one room, or playing together but communicate through headsets while they play remotely. In these group think gaming situations there is usually one or two people that take charge to make decisions of how to play, where to go, etc. while the other members of the team might add their ideas but ultimately go along with what the others say.

Furthermore, gaming can also be related to transactive memory because this is when not everyone in a group needs to remember every aspect, but each member retains certain pertinent information they will be called on later to convey this. In terms of gaming, each member of the group can remember certain tactics or maneuvers and recite these when needed, but it is not required for every member to remember each element of the game.

Group Think and Gaming

The idea of group think is understood to be individuals working together for the common good, but also relying on these others to come to a consensus. In a group think situation the majority of the group usually does not have to put in 100% of their creative thought or effort because they think that someone else in the group will make a profound conclusion, so that they will not have to. Group think can be related to gaming situations; many people game in groups, either all sitting together in one room, or playing together but communicate through headsets while they play remotely. In these group think gaming situations there is usually one or two people that take charge to make decisions of how to play, where to go, etc. while the other members of the team might add their ideas but ultimately go along with what the others say.

Furthermore, gaming can also be related to transactive memory because this is when not everyone in a group needs to remember every aspect, but each member retains certain pertinent information they will be called on later to convey this. In terms of gaming, each member of the group can remember certain tactics or maneuvers and recite these when needed, but it is not required for every member to remember each element of the game.

Group Think and transactive memory

Group think and transactive memory are both very interesting processes that rely heavily on the group and not on the individual. Group think discourages expressing personal viewpoints and encourages consensus thinking. People engaged in group think are somewhat glazed over because everyone is relying on the other to come up with an idea. Transactive memory on the other hand is where people remember things in groups. Each person doesn't need to remember everything the group as a whole needs to know.
Group think and transactive memory both apply to the context of gaming in groups. The responsibilities of gaming can and are distributed throughout the group. The individual isn't thinking, the group is. In group think the individual is actually using less of their brain power than if they were working independently. In group gaming transactive memory is also applied. Certain members of the group would have to know different material than the other half. Group think and transactive memory are not only present in gaming but are also present in the classroom and in professional careers. They always say that two heads are better than one.

Group think and transactive memory as it applies to the birth of wide-spread gaming

Group think is very prevalent in the context of gaming when it comes to how the world of online and virtual games came about. There are many games that spurred from initial games. People improved the code of games, left the games on shared computers, copied the games to their computers, and shared them with even more people. Essentially, there was a common attitude toward the games (everyone enjoyed playing them), and so everyone worked together to expand the world of gaming into the empire that it is today.

Transactive memory, where people tend to remember certain things in groups, applies in the context of games, as well. Whereas one person may be better at knowing and remembering information about internet networking, one person may be better versed at programming. Other people may be more knowledgeable of the business or design aspect of gaming. Once all of the people get together, work, and bounce ideas off of each other, everyone contributes the knowledge that they have stored in their memory. The end result has also led to the expanding world of gaming.

Group Think and Transactive Memory

Group think, aside from allowing group members to reach consensus on decisions through minimal conflict without overanalyzing, simultaneously causes individuals to refrain from sharing their viewpoints for fear of looking unintelligent, embarrassing oneself, or challenging another group member. Because less input is offered, the cluster of people that employs group think typically forms illogical and impulsive thoughts, since they want to feel accepted and cooperative. Group think specifically applies to any instance in the context of gaming where there are distinguished teams with group leaders, because the tendency is to blindly follow the leader in hopes of satisfying the individual and serving as a team player. Just like the Challenger Space Shuttle or Bay of Pigs examples, the players on the team do not want to suggest anything negative or create any opposition with the powerful people in charge.

Transactive memory, which is a theory that delineates how individuals complement each other in groups by remembering different pieces of pertinent information, serves as an effective memory system because the several individuals act as aids to each other. Though it requires more complexity and planning, transactive memory will most likely prove highly beneficial, because individuals cannot retain as much information as a group of people, however small or large. This process also applies to the context of gaming with teams, because if, for example, a scavenger hunt is taking place, it is much easier for the team to memorize objects, know different locations, and remember certain pieces of information. If a team challenges an individual in a scavenger hunt, the team has the advantage of having more resources and will be correct the majority of the time. In a team, individuals only need to concentrate on a limited number of things and are responsible for much less information, whereas the individual can only rely on him or herself.

Transactive memory - Gaming

There is a game on Shockwave.com that is called InkLink. The basic premise is similar to Pictionary; that one person is the “drawer” and they have to draw the secret word and the other players must guess the secret word. It’s an interactive game and you play with people from all over the world. In the game, all guesses are public so you can see what your competitors are guessing. Oftentimes, seeing one of your competitor’s [wrong] guesses jogs your memory and leads you to think of the correct “secret” word.

The theory of transactive memory is based on the idea that individual members can serve as external memory aids to each other. This is present because even though you are not playing in teams, you benefit from the ideas and knowledge of your competitors when their incorrect guesses help you eliminate wrong answers and often lead you to the correct one.

Instructions for next Friday

HI, all

Basically, I would like you to apply the idea of group think and transactive memory to one example either in the context of gaming or surveillance

Please post a two paragraph analysis on the blog by next Friday.

If you would like to explore more of the theory, please read Andrea Hollingshead's articles, she's a professor at Annenberg, you should be able to find her articles on the school webpage

Fight on!