Meetings Make Us Dumber

A study to be published in an upcoming Journal of Consumer Research shows that “When a group gets together, they can miss out on good options.”

Apparently people have a harder time coming up with alternative solutions to a problem when they are part of a group. Scientists exposed study participants to one brand of soft drink then asked them to think of alternative brands. Alone, they came up with significantly more products than when they were grouped with two others.

This sheep-like flock mentality most certainly extends into corporate boardrooms.

The researchers speculate that when a group of people receives information, the inclination is to discuss it. The more times one option is said aloud, the harder it is for individuals to recall other options, explained Krishnan, associate professor of marketing at Indiana University.