Social Psychology Network

Maintained by Scott Plous, Wesleyan University

Dennis D. Stewart

My current research focuses on the following two broad categories:

(1) Group Decision Making: An assumption about group decision making is that groups can make more informed decisions than individuals because groups can pool their unshared information (information known by only one group member). However, a growing body of research suggests that this assumption may not be reasonable, because group members tend to discuss shared information (information known by all group members) more than unshared information. This bias toward shared information can be particularly problematic when the unshared information favors a superior alternative and the shared information favors an inferior alternative. This situation has been referred to as a hidden profile. In my research,I have looked at how organizational, social, and cognitive variables can impact the sampling of information and the discovery of the hidden profile.

(2) Collective Memory Groups: My recent research has branched out from decision-making groups into the area of collective or group memory. Specifically, I have been interested in how cognitive variables (e.g., the self-reference effect, primacy effects) can impact upon the recall of shared and unshared information within the context of a collective memory task. Additionally, this research examines the broader question of how cognition works at the group level.

Primary Interests:

  • Communication, Language
  • Group Processes
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Persuasion, Social Influence

Journal Articles:

  • Stasser, G., & Stewart, D. D. (1992). The discovery of hidden profiles by decision making groups: Solving a problem versus making a judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 426-434.
  • Stasser, G., Stewart, D. D., & Wittenbaum, G. (1995). Expert roles and information exchange during discussion: The importance of knowing who knows what. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 31, 244-265.
  • Stasser, G. Vaughn, S. I., & Stewart, D. D. (2000). Pooling unshared information: The Benefits of knowing how access to information is distributed among group members.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 82, 102-116.
  • Stewart, D. D. (1998). Stereotypes, negativity bias and the discussion of unshared information in decision-making groups. Small Group Research, 29, 643-668.
  • Stewart, D. D., Billings, R., & Stasser G. (1998). The impact of accountability on information sampling in decision-making groups. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 2, 18-23.
  • Stewart, D. D., & Stasser, G. (1998). The sampling of critical, unshared information in decision-making groups: The role of an informed minority. European Journal of Social Psychology, 28, 95-113.
  • Stewart, D. D., & Stasser, G. (1995). Expert role assignment and information sampling during collective recall and decision making. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 619-629.
  • Stewart, D. D., & Stewart, C. B. (2001). Group recall: The picture-superiority effect with shared and unshared information. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 5, 48-56.
  • Stewart, D. D., Stewart, C. B., & Walden, J. (2007) The self-reference effect and the group-reference effect in the recall of shared and unshared information. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 10, 323-339.
  • Stewart, D. D., Stewart, C. Tyson, C., Vinci, G., & Fioti, T.(2004). Serial position effects and the picture-superiority effect in the group recall of unshared information. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice, 8, 166-181.

Courses Taught:

  • Advanced Seminar in Social Psychology
  • Applied Social Psychology
  • Group Dynamics
  • Introductory Psychology
  • Negotiation
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Research Methods
  • Social Psychology
  • Statistics

Dennis D. Stewart
Department of Psychology
University of Minnesota, Morris
600 E. 4th Street
Morris, Minnesota 56267
United States of America

  • Phone: (320) 589-6196

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