Abstract
Researchers of team behavior have long been interested in the essential components of effective teamwork. Much existing research focuses on examining correlations between team member traits, team processes, and team outcomes, such as collective intelligence or team performance. However, these approaches are insufficient for providing insight into the dynamic, causal mechanisms through which the components of teamwork interact with one another and impact the emergence of team outcomes. Advances in the field of animal behavior have enabled a precise understanding of the behavioral mechanisms that enable groups to perform feats that surpass the capabilities of the individuals that comprise them. In this manuscript, we highlight how studies of animal swarm intelligence can inform research on collective intelligence in human teams. By improving the ability to obtain precise, time-varying measurements of team behaviors and outcomes and building upon approaches used in studies of swarm intelligence to analyze and model individual and group-level behaviors, researchers can gain insight into the mechanisms underlying the emergence of collective intelligence. Such understanding could inspire targeted interventions to improve team effectiveness and support the development of a comparative framework of group-level intelligence in animal and human groups.
Highlights
It is often said that two heads are better than one
Researchers within Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology have long studied the properties of effective teams so that organizations can take full advantage of the cognitive and performance advantages teams can provide—a concept often encompassed by the term “collective intelligence” (Kurvers et al 2015)
We end with recommendations for future research approaches that can promote a more mechanistic understanding of how team member traits and interactions impact the emergence of collective intelligence in teams
Summary
It is often said that two heads are better than one. much of the workplace has moved towards individuals working together in teams (Ilgen 1999). Researchers within Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology have long studied the properties of effective teams so that organizations can take full advantage of the cognitive and performance advantages teams can provide—a concept often encompassed by the term “collective intelligence” (Kurvers et al 2015) Team outcomes, such as collective intelligence (and team performance more broadly), are thought to depend on a combination of team member traits and the presence and degree of team processes. Through studies of these impressive behaviors, evolutionary biologists have gained a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying successful group-level outcomes while advancing the tools and techniques of the field The goal of this manuscript is to identify areas where studies of swarm intelligence in animals can promote new insights into the study of collective intelligence in human teams. We end with recommendations for future research approaches that can promote a more mechanistic understanding of how team member traits and interactions impact the emergence of collective intelligence in teams
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