Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes Vol. 85, No. 2, July, pp. 310–335, 2001 doi:10.1006/obhd.2000.2943, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com on Cognitive Diversity and Consensus in Group Decision Making: The Role of Inputs, Processes, and Outcomes Susan Mohammed The Pennsylvania State University and Erika Ringseis The University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada This study contributes to the new and growing body of research on shared cognition by examining how individuals entering a group decision-making context with different perspectives of the issues to be discussed arrive at cognitive consensus. Cognitive consensus refers to similarity among group members regarding how key matters are conceptualized and was operationalized as shared assumptions underlying decision issues in the present research. Utilizing 37 student groups participating in a multi- issue decision-making exercise, the study investigated anteced- ents and correlates of cognitive consensus. Results revealed that unanimity decision rule groups achieved more cognitive consen- sus than majority rule groups. In addition, group members in- quiring concerning the reasons underlying others’ decision preferences, accepting others’ viewpoints as legitimate, and incorporating others’ perspectives into their own interpretations of the issues was positively related to arriving at a greater degree of cognitive consensus. Cognitive consensus also positively influ- enced expectations regarding decision implementation and satis- faction.  2001 Academic Press A preliminary version of this article was presented at the 1999 annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Atlanta, GA. The authors thank Ted Kinney for his help with data collection. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Susan Mohammed, Department of Psychology, 415 Bruce V. Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802-3104. E-mail: sxm40@psu.edu. 310 0749-5978/01 $35.00 Copyright  2001 by Academic Press All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.