EFFECT OF INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP SETTINGS
IN PROBLEM – SOLVING
PERFORMANCES
Poonam Sukul
INTRODUCTION
The general exploratory
behaviour of the organism accompanies the presence of needs in the organism. In
the evolution of the response mechanism and in the adjustment of the organism
to its environment, the general activity becomes the first step in ensuring
that the organism has an opportunity to obtain the satisfaction of its needs.
Although in a new and unfamiliar situation, general exploration is the only
available means for finding the satisfaction of a need, when the need arises
again and again in the same situation, learning has an opportunity to take
place. Activity then becomes less random and more stereotyped and specific
learned patterns of behaviour emerge. Such learning behaviour is called problem-solving.
Since many years,
experimental study of human problem-solving behaviour has continued in a
sporadic manner. Psychologists have tried to investigate the conditions that
influence the problem solving behaviour of the individuals. They have tried to
analyse whether an individual can solve problems in a better way working in a
group or when she / he is alone. Evidences suggest that group problem solving
is generally superior to individual situation. It has been argued that it
occurs because the presence of one able person in the group ensures that all
the individuals will be able to perform the task. The proponents of problem
solving as a brain storming or idea eliciting behaviour also emphasize the
value of group participation.
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. To study the effect of
individual condition in problem solving;
2. To study the effect of
group participation in problem solving;
3.
To study the effect of mixed conditions i.e. working in both individual and
group conditions in solving problems.
HYPOTHESES
1. The number of solutions
would not be greater when working individually than when working in a group;
2. The individual condition of problem solving
would not be superior to the mixed conditions of working.
METHOD
Sample
40 male students of higher
secondary classes studying in different schools in
Materials
Five problems of general
interest and creative thinking each having numerous answers were selected for
the purpose of study.
Experimental Design and Procedure
Four experimental
conditions each composed of 10 same sex subjects were utilised. The conditions
were as follows:
I - Working individually;
G - Working in a group;
IG - Working first half of
the time individually and then working in a group; and
G I -
Working first half of the session in a group and then working individually.
In individual condition,
all the 10 subjects were told that they had to respond for a test on creative
thinking. They were asked to read all the problems carefully and to write down
all the ideas or solutions, they could think of. Quantity and not the quality
of the solutions were stressed. The time limit of 20 minutes was provided for
solving the problems. In group condition, the subjects were instructed in the
same manner as in individual condition. The time limit was also same. All
students sat around a large table working in a group.
In condition I-G, the
subjects were given the same instructions as in condition I except that they
were given only 10 minutes to solve problems privately. Then they were asked to
assemble and work in a group. They were asked not to raise before the group the
ideas produced privately. They were given the time limit of 10 minutes for this
condition also. They worked on the same problems assigned to them as
individually. In condition G-I, the subjects first worked in a group for 10
minutes and then they were sent separately to write solutions on the same
problems. Again they were given 10 minutes. The number of solutions for each
problem was counted. Though the quality was not stressed, yet the relevancy of
the solutions to problem was checked.
ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION
It was found that the
subjects produced more ideas in individual condition than in group condition.
Similarly, the total number of solutions in I-G condition and G-I conditions
were less than individual and group scores. Factorial analyses of variance
indicated that the difference in the solutions to the problems in different
conditions was not due to chance. The difference was significant as the F value
crossed the .05 and .01 limit of significance. Hence, the hypotheses that individual
condition of problem solving is not superior to group or mixed conditions of
working are rejected here.
CONCLUSION
On the basis of the
findings, it can be concluded that the individual setting is better than group
situation for solving problems. In this condition of working, not only the
number of ideas increases, the quality of solutions is also at par. Though it
has been found in many studies that group participation facilitates the
working, yet it was also proved that it was better for only increasing the
speed of problem solving. The brain storming or idea producing situations, or
to state in a more general terms, the intellectual activity is in loss in the
group situation. The feeling of group responsibility inhibits the quality and
the quantity of the performance. Mixed conditions of working are also not very
fruitful as the numbers of ideas produced in mixed conditions in the present
study are less than individual and group condition. Thus, it can be concluded
that individual settings can be more fruitful for the students for their
studies.