The Big Five and Collaborative Problem Solving: A Narrative Systematic Review

Abstract

The current study integrates available findings on the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and collaborative problem solving (CPS), as a specific type of teamwork. Based on a systematic search and screening of the literature, 47 papers were reviewed. Having separately analyzed how individual and group-level traits relate to the processes and outcomes of CPS, we found several meaningful associations. Both individual-level and group-level Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were positively related to the quality of CPS. The former trait contributed more to the enactment of task roles/behaviors in CPS, to task-related team processes and team performance; the latter was dominantly related to the enactment of social roles/behaviors, and to relationship-related team processes and emergent states. The role of the remaining traits in CPS depended on the level of analysis, with individual Extraversion being particularly important for within-group positioning, and group Emotional Stability affecting team cohesion. Unsurprisingly, the effects of group-level traits on CPS also depended on the method of aggregating individual trait scores. The hypothesis that some traits would relate more to CPS processes and others to its outcomes was partially confirmed, while the assumption that team processes would mediate the effects of group-level traits on CPS outcomes received substantial support.