Triads, working under time pressure or not, participated in a management si
mulation that asked groups to decide which of two cholestrol-reducing drugs
to market. The total distribution of information available to the group al
ways favored the same drug However members' initial preferences were manipu
lated by varying the distribution of shared information (provided to all me
mbers) and unshared information (provided to only a single member) supporti
ng each alternative. Thus, each member's fact sheet either (a) favored the
correct decision (current preference condition), (b) mildly favored the inc
orrect decision (weak incorrect preference condition), or (c) strongly favo
red the incorrect decision (strong incorrect preference condition). Initial
preferences were major determinants of group decisions. Time pressure eith
er enhanced or reduced decision quality depending on the strength of initia
l preferences and the content of the group interactions. These findings are
discussed in light of Karau and Kelly's Attentional Focus Model of group p
erformance.