Abstract
A study explored the relationship between creative problem solving and group decision making techniques as measured by the outcome variables identified in earlier studies. Subjects, 46 undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses at 2 midwestern universities, were divided into 3 groups, a Nominal Group Technique (NGT), Unstructured Group Activities (UGA), and individual participation (IND). Subjects were asked to generate possible themes/topics for a new magazine targeting college and university students, and then to complete questionnaires. Results indicated that: (1) use of the NGT led to a larger quantity of ideas generated, but generally reflected less evidence of group process and lower satisfaction, confidence, and efficiency; and (2) observations of UGA groups detected more "piggy backing" or "springboarding" of ideas among group members during interaction. Findings suggest that the NGT is useful but not optimal for creative decision making, and that the advantages of both the NGT and UGA structures are enhanced when combined. (Contains 19 references and 1 table of data. An appendix presents the questionnaire and instructions for members of the various groups.) (RS)