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Brainstorming on Zoom Hampers Creativity
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Brainstorming on Zoom Hampers Creativity

Bret Stetka
Scientific American, 2022
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8

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A new study shows that replacing face-to-face interaction with virtual calls somewhat impedes creative collaboration and idea generation. Scientific American outlines the intriguing findings by a team of researchers at Columbia Business School: If your team wants to be more creative, an in-person meeting is better than a Zoom call. But if you have no choice but to brainstorm online, researchers advise a simple solution that can negate the adverse effects of virtual communication on innovation.

Take-Aways

  • Teams brainstorming on video calls generate fewer ideas than groups interacting face-to-face.
  • Virtual groups are able to select the best ideas as well as, or even better than, in-person teams.
  • Switching off your camera can help alleviate the attention-related issues that impede creativity.

About the Author

Bret Stetka, MD, was Editorial Director of Medscape Neurology and a writer for various media outlets, including Scientific American, Wired, NPR and The Atlantic.

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