GROUP VERSUS INDIVIDUAL TRAINING AND GROUP-PERFORMANCE - THE MEDIATING ROLE OF TRANSACTIVE MEMORY

The task performance of laboratory work groups whose members were trai ned together or alone was investigated. At an, initial training sessio n, subjects were taught to assemble transistor radios. Some were train ed in groups, others individually. A week later, subjects were asked t o recall the assembly procedure and actually assemble a radio. Everyon e performed these tasks in small work groups, each containing three pe rsons of the same gender. Subjects in the group training condition wor ked in the same groups where they were trained, whereas subjects in th e individual training condition worked in newly formed groups. Groups whose members were trained together recalled more about the assembly p rocedure and produced better-quality radios than groups whose members were trained alone. Through an analysis of videotape data, the mediati ng effects of various cognitive and social factors on the relationship between group training and performance were explored. The results ind icated that group training improved group performance primarily by fos tering the development of transactive memory systems among group membe rs.