Group Diversity and Salience: A Natural Experiment from a Television Game Show

42 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2020

See all articles by Gabriella A. Bucci

Gabriella A. Bucci

DePaul University, Department of Economics

Rafael Tenorio

DePaul University - Department of Economics

Date Written: September 7, 2009

Abstract

We take advantage of a naturally occurring experiment in a television game show to study the impact of group characteristics on their ability to select salient solutions in a matching game. The Family Feud features families seeking to earn prizes by matching the results of public opinion surveys on various subjects. Our main result is that, controlling for task difficulty, families that are more diverse, as measured by both the intra-family generational gap and the relatedness of their members, are more successful at matching wider ranges of survey responses. This highlights the importance of member diversity in expanding information and decision frames of reference within a group.

Keywords: group decisions, diversity, salience, natural experiments

JEL Classification: C70, C90, D70

Suggested Citation

Bucci, Gabriella A. and Tenorio, Rafael, Group Diversity and Salience: A Natural Experiment from a Television Game Show (September 7, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1469683 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1469683

Gabriella A. Bucci (Contact Author)

DePaul University, Department of Economics ( email )

1 East Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
United States

Rafael Tenorio

DePaul University - Department of Economics ( email )

1 E. Jackson Blvd. - Suite 6200
Chicago, IL 60604
United States
312-362-8309 (Phone)
312-362-5452 (Fax)

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