Directory
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Lyn Van Swol |
Expertise and Activities
I mainly research group communication and discussion. My research looks at how people tend to talk about information that they all know and share in common before having a group discussion. Talking about shared information helps create a common ground among group members. The problem is that by only talking about information that they share in common, groups fail to learn from each other and use the unique contributions of individual members. A common reason that organizations use groups to make decisions is because it is assumed that different group members will bring different perspectives to the table that will help make a better informed, more deeply thought decision. When group members talk about information they already know, it undermines this advantage of groups. However, there are advantages to discussing shared information. My research has found that people respond positively to a group member who mentions information that others already know, and that people who hold a minority viewpoint in a group are more persuasive in the group when they frame their arguments with information already known by members of the majority opinion. So, shared information offers a common ground with the majority by which the minority opinion can be more persuasive.
I have found that one way to make group members more open to unique information from others is to put the presenter of the unique information in the role of an advisor. When people view someone as advising them, rather than just another group member, they are more open to hearing new, unique information, and actually prefer to get a fresh viewpoint. This might offer organizations a way to structure their groups to include more new information in their decision-making discussions.
I am also examining how having a group member with an extreme attitude affects the group discussion. For example, I found that extreme members tend to talk more and take more turns during the group discussion.
Education
- Ph.D. University of Illinois, 1999
- M.A. University of Illinois, 1995
- B.A. Loyola University, 1993
Honors and Awards
- NCA, Dennis Gouran Research Award, 2007
- NCA, Top three paper in group communication, 2006
- NCA, Top three paper in group communication, 2005
Selected Works
Articles
- 2009. "Discussion and perception of information in groups and judge advisor systems." Communication Monographs, 76, 99-120.
- 2009. "Factors that affect decision-makers preference for unshared information." Group Dynamics, 13, 31-45.
- 2009. "The effects of advisor motives on confidence and advice utilization." Communication Research.
- 2009. "Extreme members and group polarization." Social Influence, 4, 185-199.
- 2008. "Performance and process in collective and individual memory: The role of social decision schemes and memory bias in collective memory." Memory, 16, 274-287.
- 2007. "Tell me something I don't know: Decision-makers' preference for advisors with unshared information." Communication Research, 34, 297-312.
- 2007. "Perceived importance of information: the effects of mentioning of information, shared information bias, ownership bias, reiteration, and confirmation bias." Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 10, 241-258.
- 2006. "Differences between minority, majority, and unanimous group members in the communication of information." Human Communication Research, 32, 178-197.
- 2005. "Factors affecting the acceptance of expert advice." British Journal of Social Psychology, 44, 443-461.
Chapters
- 2007. "Social cognition in groups and negotiation." Communication and Social Cognition, David Roskos-Ewoldsen and Jennifer Monahan, eds.
Courses
- CA 368 - Persuasion
- CA 575 - Communication in Complex Organizations
