Production Blocking

People in interactive, brainstorming groups generally produce fewer and less creative ideas than they would working individually, and production blocking, the tendency for one person in a group discussion to block or inhibit others from offering ideas, is a major reason for this. It occurs when people are prevented from thinking or contributing because they are listening to someone else instead, so that if one member of a six-person group is presenting an idea, the other five are effectively blocked and less able to offer their own; group members going off-topic can compound the effect by further diverting attention from generating ideas. Production blocking is a form of distraction distinct from two other causes of reduced group idea generation, evaluation apprehension, in which people withhold suggestions for fear of criticism, and social loafing, in which people withhold ideas because they expect other members to contribute instead.