| While the literature is rich with hypotheses about shared mental models, few researchers have provided empirical evidence to support their use in applied settings (Klimoski & Mohammed, 1994). In this paper, a model is developed that integrates two distinct shared mental model research traditions with the group dynamics literature. Two diagnostic decision-making techniques, the Problem Identification Validation (PIV) and the Elimination by Aspects (EBA), are posited to be two kinds of shared meta-mental models that can improve the effectiveness of decision-making teams. Because PIV was specifically designed for teams under stress, it was expected that the PIV trained subjects would perform better than EBA trained subjects, even if the team shared their mental models. These two techniques' effectiveness, and a new method of eliciting shared mental models were experimentally tested in a nursing field setting. While PIV was shown to be a more effective technique than EBA, the videotaped replication had an unintended effect of altering the experimental design. This prevented the shared mental model hypotheses from being tested. |
