Groups as problem‐solving units: Toward a new meaning of social cognition

TLDR

Social cognition refers to group-level processes of acquiring, storing, transmitting, manipulating, and using information to create a collective intellective product, where “social” denotes the mode of cognition rather than its content. The authors argue that cognition can be meaningfully analyzed at the group level and propose that social cognition is present in all group problem‑solving contexts, varying in amount and type according to the functions required to reach a solution. They examine how various group member actions support key problem‑solving functions, drawing on functional analogies between individual and group cognition to guide the analysis. The paper discusses the benefits of adopting a functional orientation for understanding group problem solving.

Abstract

In this paper we take the position that cognition can be meaningfully understood at the group level of analysis. We refer to group‐level cognitive activity as social cognition, a term that we apply collectively to those social processes involved in the acquisition, storage, transmission, manipulation and use of information for the purpose of creating a group‐level intellective product. In this context, the word ‘social’ is used to denote how cognition is accomplished, not its content. It is proposed that at least some social cognition occurs in every kind of group problem‐solving situation, though the amount and type depends on the specific problem‐solving functions that need to be addressed in order to reach a problem solution. We examine a number of these functions, and consider how they are served by various group member actions. This analysis is informed (though not determined) by certain functional analogies that can be found between individual‐level and group‐level (i.e. social) cognition. The benefits of adopting a functional orientation to understanding group problem solving are discussed.