Does Brainstorming Promote Cohesiveness? How the Rules of Brainstorming Mirror Symbolic Convergence

Abstract

Brainstorming is a technique to promote idea generation that may also promote cohesiveness in idea generating groups. Similarities between the rules of brainstorming and the logic of fantasy chaining from symbolic convergence theory are considered. In 41 groups, 151 participants reported their perceptions of freewheeling (i.e., willingness to share impractical ideas), piggybacking (i.e., building on the ideas of others), focusing on quantity (i.e., prioritizing as many ideas as possible), and nonevaluation (i.e., not providing feedback to the ideas of others) and their perceptions of group cohesiveness. Cohesiveness is significantly predicted by increased perceptions of piggybacking and focusing on quantity. Counter to predictions, freewheeling is not positively associated with cohesiveness.