What sets human beings apart is our ability to solve complex problems - whether we're building a machine that can do math, isolating deseases, or travelling to space. However, human beings do not just solve problems alone. We're often better together. That's why we form organizations and teams, leaning on the insights and expertise of others to magnify our abilities to solve the world's greatest problems. Yet, not all organizations are alike. Some are more effective at finding problems and some organizations become more effective over time while others wane. In this study, we examine one of the most important features of collective problem solving - collaboration with others.
It is usually the domain of managers and organizers to consider how people might work together to solve problems more effectively. But every person experiences the same dilemmas - should I ask my friends for help or should I solve try to problem-solve myself? Which friends should I ask for help and why? How often should I ask for help? In a democracy, we ask questions like how often should voters vote for representatives and how many representatives should there be. These are all basic question about how to organize our capacity to solve problems. By participating in this study, you will help us answer these questions.
In this study, we are looking at how groups work together to solve the travelling sales person problem (TSP). We're interested in how you the participant solve the problem and how and what you learn from other participants. The TSP is a model for many types of problems and understanding how groups solve it will help us understand what kinds of teams, organizations, businesses, and governments will be most effective at finding optimal (and near-optimal) solutions.
Prior versions of this research have been used to help us understand effective teams, including which group of scientists will produce the most innovative research and which managers will be most effective.
Anyone over the age of 18 may participate. However, this study requires at least 3 participants . In order to participate, you need to recruit two more friends. If you participate with others, please do not look at one another's screen or the data will not be usable.