A local model of information sharing in small groups

This paper sketches a 2-step model of information processing in small groups in which the process of communication influences the quantity and quality of information mentioned during discussion. The first step in the model, activation, describes how information becomes available in short-term memory, such that it provides the basis for a potential contribution to discussion. It is a process based on coherence; activation is a function of antecedent and projected contributions to discussion. The second step, choice, describes the conditions under which members contribute or withhold active information. Although choice to participate can be based on a host of antecedent conditions, the model focuses on the effects of contributing shared and unique information to discussion.