Attention-Experience Disparities and the Influence of Idea Visibility on Idea Integration in Electronic Brainstorming: A Computational Model

Abstract

Despite the pervasive use of electronic media for group brainstorming, research and practice show that electronic brainstorming systems (EBSs) may have created an illusion of productivity as they seem to offer limited benefits in terms of quantity or quality of the ideas generated by individuals during brainstorming. An underpinning thesis for losses during electronic brainstorming is associated with the lack of idea integration and use. This paper introduces and computationally examines a model of idea integration that formulates the joint influence of (1) idea visibility as an electronic media feature, (2) attention to partners' ideas as a cognitive attribute, and (3) individual's experience with idea integration as a decision-making factor on idea integration in EBS. Idea visibility and attention influence the opportunity for idea integration and individual's experience influences motivation for performing idea integration. From the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that examines the interacting effects of the above three factors on idea integration, and the model provides a theoretical basis for future empirical research. Results from our computational experiments suggest that the influence of idea visibility cannot be expressed in terms of simple effects of either attention or experience. Rather, the effect of visibility on idea integration is moderated by partners' attention-experience disparities.