ON THE INTERACTION OF THE SITUATIONS IN CO-OPERATION AND COMPETITION AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUP MEMBERS IN THE RECALL OF SENTENCES

Abstract

In this study, I considered the effect which the characteristics of group members in co-operation and competition had upon group memory.
Subjects...twenty-four junior high school pupils out of whom I selected six groups (two introversion groups, two extroversion groups, two heterogeneous groups, each group consisting of fourperson group members). And each two groups are divided into the co-operation and competition situations.
Procedure...The experiment was made at each group. First, I gave the instructions to the subjects and then made them memorize the memory materials for ten minutes. After mutual consultation of the group members for twenty minutes, I made them recall the materials. The results of the experiment are as follows.
1. In each recall time, the recall rate in the co-operation situation is higher than that in the competition situation.
2. In the case of the homogeneous group members (the introversion group and the extroversion group), the recall rate is high in the co-operation situation and low in the competition situation. In the case of the heterogeneous group members, the recall rate is high in the competition situation and low in the co-operation situation.
3. The introversion group members have the highest recall rate in the co-operation situation and the lowest recall rate in the competition situation. This tendency is also seen in the extroversion group members who hava the recall rate next to that in the introversion group members. The heterogeneous group members have the highest recall rate in the competition situation and the lowest recall rate in the co-operation situation.
4. In the study of group memory, I think we could have a sufficient result by considering the characteristics of group members and their interactions.