Socially-shared cognition and consensus in small groups.

This paper reviews recent work on socially-shared cognition in small groups. Major attention is devoted to the impact of information and preference sharing on the achievement of group consensus and the consequences of consensus (and dissensus) for the group and its members. The literature is organized in terms of the task context in which sharing occurs (i.e., group problem-solving/decision-making tasks vs. group-productivity tasks). Topics covered include information sharing in hidden-profile situations, regulation of socio-cognitive conflict, shared mental models, transactive memory systems, and group discussions involving collective action. The impact of group members' motives on information and preference sharing is highlighted, and more attention to relational (social) motives is suggested.