Can Simple Group Heuristics Detect Hidden Profiles in Randomly Generated Environments

Research on the hidden-profile effect (Stasser, 1992) has revealed that groups often fail to detect the choice alternative with the highest sum score if the individual group members' information points to another alternative. We conducted a simulation study in which we randomly generated distributions of information such that they did or did not contain a hidden profile. The simulated groups solved the tasks by applying a unit weight linear model or a fast and frugal heuristic (Minimalist or Take The Best). Overall, a communication-based lexicographic heuristic performed best across the different environments. This fast and frugal heuristic makes cue-wise comparisons of alternatives while pooling information during group discussion. Moreover, results show that performance depends on whether group members share and exchange information on valid or on invalid cues. Directions for future research are discussed.

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