The Group Dynamics Lab led by Dr. Jonali Baruah, investigates the social, cognitive, and physiological processes underlying creativity, decision-making, and well-being in teams across educational and organizational contexts.

Our research examines how people think, create, and collaborate in modern meeting environments, including face-to-face, virtual, hybrid, and AI-supported settings. Using lab and field experiments and machine learning analyses, we study creative performances and conversational dynamics such as turn-taking, topic exploration, and divergent and convergent thinking patterns, fatigue, anxiety and decision quality. Based on these findings, the lab develops evidence-based interventions, training modules, and technological tools designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and innovation in team environments.

Below are the examples of our research focus:

Representative publications:

• Baruah, J., Jimenez, E., & Paulus, P. B. (2025). Comparing Virtual Brainwriting and Video‐Based Brainstorming in Groups With Perceived Functional Diversity or Similarity. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 59(4), e70058. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.70058

• Baruah, J., Paulus, P. B. & Kohn, N. (2021). The effect of the sequence of creative processes on the quality of the ideas: The benefit of a simultaneous focus on originality and feasibility. Journal of Creative Behavior. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.500

• Baruah, J., & Paulus, P. B. (2019). Collaborative creativity and innovation in education. In Creativity Under Duress in Education? (pp. 155-177). Springer, Cham. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90272-2_9

Read more publications in our Publications page!

SEE YOU AT SWPA 2026!  

Lab Activities, Outings, and Research