Collaborative Remembering in Ethnically Uniform and Diverse Group Settings

In collaborative memory research, effects of ethnic diversity have not been reported despite the prevalence of ethnically diverse versus uniform groups in everyday collaborations. We compared these groups to examine three key phenomena: the counterintuitive effect known as collaborative inhibition, the more intuitive downstream memory benefits of collaborative recall, and emergence of collective memory. We also examined source memory of former collaborators. Collaborative inhibition and collective memory were comparable between ethnically Diverse triads (one Asian, Black/African American, White each) and Uniform triads (three White members). At the same time, in diverse groups Black/African American members contributed less during collaboration and did not show post-collaborative recall benefits. Ethnicity differences did not emerge within nominal diverse groups, demonstrating for the first time the negative impact of stereotype threat in collaborative remembering. Uniform groups exhibited better source memory, suggesting homophily. Our findings have applied relevance for groups in academic and workplace settings.