Collaborative Group Memory: Processes,Performance, and Techniques for Improvement

Groups are often asked to perform important tasks that require them to remember and report accurate information. A review of research on memory processes in groups suggests that collaboration enhances select performance outcomes. Collaboration allows group members to pool their memories and correct one another’s memory errors. Nonetheless, there are opportunities for improvement in the memory performance of collaborative groups. Collaborative groups typically do not recall as much information as the same number of individuals working alone and sometimes fail to correct the memory errors of their members. In this article, we integrate research findings to present an account of collaborative group memory processes and performance. We present a cognitive-social-motivational framework for viewing collaborative group memory processes, emphasize the value of collaboration on memory tasks, and suggest ways in which collaborative group memory performance may be improved.