A balance theory approach to group problem solving

This paper presents a conceptualization of group problem solving based on Heider's balance theory [Cartwright, D., Harary, F., 1956. Structural balance: a generalization of Heider's theory. Psychological Review 63, 277–292; Heider, F., 1946. Attitudes and cognitive organization. Journal of Psychology 21, 107–112; Heider, F., 1958. The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. Wiley, New York], in which the problem solving process is viewed as a struggle toward increasing structural balance. Balance theory provides a means of representing problems that captures both gestalt restructuring and incremental search aspects of the problem solving process. An experimental method based on a flexible card categorization task operationalizes this conceptual view in a group problem solving situation. Results of an experiment investigating the effects of certain properties of problem structure on group problem solving behavior and performance are reported.