Nudge
Do brainstorms actually work?
Sep 11, 2023
Today's podcast features Sheena Iyengar, Professor of social psychology. The interview delves into the effectiveness of brainstorms, highlighting the flaws of traditional brainstorming sessions. It explores alternative solutions, such as pre-meeting preparation and diverse knowledge bases, emphasizing the value of individual thinking before group discussions. The importance of persistence in generating creative ideas is also discussed, challenging the notion that fancy office designs enhance creativity.
30:37
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Quick takeaways
- Group brainstorming often leads to conformity bias, anchoring bias, and other cognitive biases, resulting in fewer and lower quality ideas compared to individuals working independently.
- Combining existing ideas from different industries and disciplines enhances the chances of generating unique and diverse ideas.
Deep dives
The Ineffectiveness of Brainstorming
Brainstorming is commonly used for generating ideas, but research shows that it is not as effective as expected. Social psychologists have studied brainstorming for 40 years and found that it produces fewer and lower quality ideas compared to individuals working independently. Group brainstorming often leads to conformity bias, anchoring bias, and other cognitive biases. Research suggests that brainstorming sessions should focus on independent thought and problem definition before engaging in group discussions and combining ideas.
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