The Effects of Frivolous Comments on the Performance of Computer-Mediated Group Idea Generation

Despite superior performance of computer-based brainstorming over other means such as Nominal and Face-to-Face brainstorming, prior research points out many remaining process losses that hinder the performance of computer-based brainstorming. Studies have, thus far, focused on how to improve process gains while neglecting how to mitigate process losses that may be more efficient and effective to enhance productivity. One aspect of such process losses that have received little attention is how to control task-irrelevant comments that often have a negative contagion effect on performance. This study posits that such frivolous comments draw more attention faster than task-relevant information and are more likely to induce the same or similar type of comments, undermining performance norm. The results showed that individuals who were exposed to frivolous comments stimuli exhibited more social loafing than individuals who were not exposed to such stimuli. However, interestingly, individuals in the moderate junk comment condition performed better than individuals in the 0% and 45% junk comments conditions. Unlike our prediction, it appears that an extra dose of random noise can be beneficial rather than hindering the performance under the conditions of normal distribution of high, low, and medium performers and constant high-quality ideas stimulation. In sum, feelings of dispensability in the 0% and 45% junk comments condition have further induced “diminishing marginal utility,” depressing overall task performance. The implications of these findings for future research, as well as the implications for the design of group idea generation procedures are discussed.