Research from Carnegie Mellon University found that while internet access may enhance individual creativity, it can inhibit collective brainstorming during group sessions. In a study with participants tasked to brainstorm uses for common objects, those with Google access produced repetitive and common solutions, often in the same order. In contrast, participants without internet access generated more distinct and varied ideas. This phenomenon, termed 'fixation effects,' indicates that reliance on online solutions can limit original thought in collaborative environments.
In a recent study published in the journal Memory & Cognition, researchers asked participants to brainstorm new ways to use one of two common objects-a shield or an umbrella-either with or without internet access. In some trials, study participants could access Google search; in other trials, they couldn't use a search engine. Of the groups, those with access to Google, for the most part, came up with the same common answers, often in the same exact order.
Researchers found that while individual creativity may be enhanced by internet access, groups articulate fewer novel solutions when provided internet access, suggesting that internet access may constrain collective creative fluency. This could be an example of 'fixation effects,' where being shown a possible solution influences participants to think of similar answers, but also obstructs them from thinking of new or different answers.
Oppenheimer said, when given a prompt such as 'things you might spread,' participants with access to Google might suggest 'butter' or 'jam,' while others who lack internet search access might suggest something along the lines of 'disease' or 'rumors.' Oppenheimer said we should accept that internet access is changing the way people think and problem solve, but instead of banning search engines, we should learn.
Thinking outside the box means thinking outside the search engine.
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