(I) Groups perform many tasks, of which making
decisions is one of the most important. (II) The course of
our lives is largely determined by decisions made by
groups: for example, selection committees, juries,
parliaments and groups of friends. (III) In addition, many
of us spend a significant portion of our working lives
making decisions in groups. (IV) Therefore, social
psychologists have long been interested in the social
processes involved in group decision-making, and in
whether groups make better or different decisions than
individuals do. (V) Another important dimension of group
decision-making is the ability to recall information