When two heads are better than one expert

In a line of research on expertise and creative problem solving (Wiley, 1998; Wiley, 1999), an instance in which two heads do seem better than one has been found. In a study using a Remote Associates Task, when high knowledge participants were paired with a novice, solution rates actually increased beyond what would be expected from either type of individual working independently. The discovery of a "process gain" condition is quite rare within the social psychology and group problem solving literature. Further, from a cognitive standpoint, it is interesting that experts may sometimes need the assistance of novices in order to be most effective, flexible or innovative in their problem solving.