Despite vigorous research on risk communication, little is known about the social forces that drive these choices.Erev, Wallsten, and Neal (1991) showed that forecasters learn to select verbal or Neff N70 KI7863DF0G Integrated 60/40 Fridge Freezer numerical probability estimates as a function of which mode yields on average the larger group payoffs.We extend the result by investigating the effect of group size on the speed with which forecasters converge on the better communication mode.
On the basis of social facilitation theory we hypothesized that small groups induce less arousal and anxiety among their members than do large groups when performing new tasks, and therefore that forecasters in small groups will learn the better communication mode more quickly.This result obtained in Experiment 1, which compared groups of size 3 to groups of size 5 or 6.To test whether social loafing rather than social facilitation was mediating the effects, Experiment 2 compared social to personal Snack Bowl feedback holding group size constant at 3 members.
Learning was faster in the personal feedback condition, suggesting that social facilitation rather than loafing underlay the results.