Assembly Bonus Effect
The phenomenon where the group performance exceeds the combined contributions of individual group members. There is evidence for both task-specific assembly bonus effects, and a general effect of collective intelligence, analogous to that of general intelligence.
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Origin
Described by Collins and Guetzkow in their 1964 book A Social Psychology of Group Processes for Decision-Making. They showed that groups can produce outcomes superior to even the best individual member — not just combining contributions, but generating novel solutions through interaction. The concept influenced later research on collective intelligence.
Updated February 22, 2026