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Cognitive Distance, Absorptive Capacity and Group Rationality: A Simulation Study

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  • Petru Lucian Curşeu
  • Oleh Krehel
  • Joep H M Evers
  • Adrian Muntean

Abstract

We report the results of a simulation study in which we explore the joint effect of group absorptive capacity (as the average individual rationality of the group members) and cognitive distance (as the distance between the most rational group member and the rest of the group) on the emergence of collective rationality in groups. We start from empirical results reported in the literature on group rationality as collective group level competence and use data on real-life groups of four and five to validate a mathematical model. We then use this mathematical model to predict group level scores from a variety of possible group configurations (varying both in cognitive distance and average individual rationality). Our results show that both group competence and cognitive distance are necessary conditions for emergent group rationality. Group configurations, in which the groups become more rational than the most rational group member, are groups scoring low on cognitive distance and scoring high on absorptive capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Petru Lucian Curşeu & Oleh Krehel & Joep H M Evers & Adrian Muntean, 2014. "Cognitive Distance, Absorptive Capacity and Group Rationality: A Simulation Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-6, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0109359
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0109359
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    2. Takao Sasaki & Stephen C. Pratt, 2011. "Emergence of group rationality from irrational individuals," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 22(2), pages 276-281.
    3. Guillaume Deffuant & Frederic Amblard & Gérard Weisbuch, 2002. "How Can Extremism Prevail? a Study Based on the Relative Agreement Interaction Model," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 5(4), pages 1-1.
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