Assembly Bonus Effect or Typical Group Performance? A Comment on Michaelsen, Watson, and Black (1989)--Comment/Reply

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology Vol. 77; no. 1; p. 102
• Main Authors: Tindale, R Scott, Larson, James R, Michaelsen, Larry K, Watson, Warren E, Schwartzkopf, Albert, Black, Robert H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Psychological Association 01-02-1992
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Criticism; Employment; Group dynamics; Improvements; Laboratories; Psychology; Social research; Statistical analysis; Studies; Teams
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854

Michaelsen, Watson, and Black (1989) argued that, by using experienced groups working on relevant tasks with real rewards, they were able to demonstrate an assembly bonus effect, which holds that group performance is better than the performance of any individual group member of any combination of individual member efforts. Using computer simulations based on their findings and some recent data collected under similar circumstances, it is shown that it is highly unlikely that Michaelsen, Watson, and Black found an assembly bonus effect and that their results are typical of those obtained in standard laboratory experiments on group problem solving. In a reply, Michaelsen, Watson, Schwartzkopf, and Black show that Tindale and Larson's application of computer simulation is incorrect, that Tindale and Larson's replication-study data are so limited as to be questionable, and that their claims with respect to the performance of ad hoc laboratory groups are inflated. In a rebuttal, Tindale and Larson reiterate their position.