The Benefits of Stepping Into Others' Shoes: Perspective Taking Strengthens Transactive Memory |
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| Authors: | Christine Gockel Elisabeth Brauner |
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| Institution: | 1. University of Fribourg christine.gockel@unifr.ch;3. Brooklyn College and The Graduate Center, The City University of New York |
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| Abstract: | Perspective taking is an important requirement for effective communication. Teams working on knowledge-intensive tasks should benefit particularly. In a laboratory study, we examined whether perspective taking (vs. egocentrism) facilitated transactive memory when team members' knowledge was either different or similar. Perspective taking led teams to form more accurate transactive memory and agree more regarding each other's knowledge assessments. Corresponding effects were found when knowledge was similar. However, no interaction emerged. Our study shows that perspective taking is a cognitive state that can be induced with a short intervention and that can positively influence team-level outcomes such as transactive memory. |
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