Comparing the Structure of Individual and Small Group Perceptions

The study reported examines the general assumption that perceptions of stimuli by individuals acting alone match those of interacting groups. This assumption contradicts arguments that groups effectively restructure the organization of the perception of stimuli. These two views were compared in a multidimensional scaling analysis of the structure in group and individual perceptions of crimes. Individuals and four-person groups made paired comparisons of the similarity of 12 crimes. Perceptual judgments by individuals and interacting groups were in general quite similar, providing little support for the cognitive restructuring hypothesis. The results were discussed in terms of pooling and consensus processes that occur during group information processing.