Greater than the sum of its parts: The role of minority and majority status in collaborative problem-solving communication

TL;DR

This study examines how minority and majority status influence communication patterns in collaborative problem-solving, revealing that diverse groups tend to communicate more productively, which has implications for fostering effective teamwork.

Contribution

It introduces a computational linguistic analysis of sociocognitive communication patterns in diverse groups during CPS tasks, highlighting the impact of demographic composition.

Findings

Diverse groups exhibit more productive communication behaviors.

URM status affects sociocognitive linguistic patterns.

Group diversity influences collaborative communication outcomes.

Abstract

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is a vital skill used both in the workplace and in educational environments. CPS is useful in tackling increasingly complex global, economic, and political issues and is considered a central 21st century skill. The increasingly connected global community presents a fruitful opportunity for creative and collaborative problem-solving interactions and solutions that involve diverse perspectives. Unfortunately, women and underrepresented minorities (URMs) often face obstacles during collaborative interactions that hinder their key participation in these problem-solving conversations. Here, we explored the communication patterns of minority and non-minority individuals working together in a CPS task. Group Communication Analysis (GCA), a temporally-sensitive computational linguistic tool, was used to examine how URM status impacts individuals' sociocognitive linguistic patterns. Results show differences across racial/ethnic groups in key sociocognitive features that indicate fruitful collaborative interactions. We also investigated how the groups' racial/ethnic composition impacts both individual and group communication patterns. In general, individuals in more demographically diverse groups displayed more productive communication behaviors than individuals who were in majority-dominated groups. We discuss the implications of individual and group diversity on communication patterns that emerge during CPS and how these patterns can impact collaborative outcomes.