The More, the Merrier? A Study on Group Structure's Impact on Individual and Collective Memory

Abstract

The study examined the impact of group structure on individual and collective memory using a socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting (SS-RIF) paradigm with categorized exemplar words. A mixed design study with a 2 (group structure: member-identical, member-reconfigured) × 2 (interaction roles: speaker, listener) × 4 (item types: Rp+, Rp−, Nrp+, Nrp−) was conducted. Listeners in both groups exhibited SS-RIF, with no significant difference in forgetting. The member-identical group demonstrated a higher level of collective memory (overlapping items both members remembered or forgotten after collaboration) than the member-reconfigured group. No significant difference was found in collective recollection (i.e., items commonly remembered). However, the member-reconfigured group exhibited lower collective forgetting (i.e., items commonly forgotten). These results suggest repeated interactions with the same group are more conducive to forming collective memories, while interacting with a different person each time offers greater re-exposure benefits, leading to enhanced recall and less forgetting of the discussed information.