Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

We explored the influence of need for closure (NFC)a propensity to adopt a deliberative versus a locomotor mindsetonteam performance under pressure. When teams solve problems under pressure, performance is often compromised by lowquality and uninformed decisions. Research on NFC shows that high pressure situations increase NFC in individuals andteams when making decisions. This change in motivation increases the tendency to act quickly, often relying on suboptimalstrategies to make decisions. Previous studies on medical teams have found that checklists can increase teamwork anddecrease errors. We hypothesized that using a checklist reduces the effects of NFC by increasing communication andteamwork. In our study, teams play a video game that requires teamwork and communication to solve puzzles underpressure, with or without a checklist. The results of our research have implications for a variety situations in which teamsperform under pressure.