The role of argumentation on high- and low-creative performing groups: A structuration analysis of undergraduate students’ group discussion

Abstract

Communication is essential for group creativity, and involves cognitive and social processes. However, research rarely investigates how these two processes unfold from a communication perspective, and its consequences on group creative performance. This study adopted the structuration theory as a framework that is capable of integrating both approaches in the study of in-group communication. In particular, we employed a structuration view to examine group argument; a social practice defined as both a system (argumentative patterns of interactive behaviors) and a structure (rules and resources undergirding the system). By applying the Conversational Argument Coding Scheme (CACS) and Lag Sequential Analysis (LSA) to analyze the argumentative behaviors of 17 groups of undergraduate students performing a creative task, we identified significant differences in the systems and structures exhibited by high and low-performing groups. Successful creative groups exhibit argumentative patterns characterized by conflict, which contributes to the generation of new ideas and the integration of diverse perspectives. In contrast, less successful groups revealed a system that focused on reaching consensus rather than challenging or evaluating ideas. This paper further discusses the first empirical evidence provided by LSA on unpacking the communication dynamics that involve social and cognitive processes in in-group creative discussions.