Exploring Mutual Engagement in Creative Collaborations

Group creativity is a fundamental form of human activity. In this paper we explore what constitutes mutually engaging interaction between people – interaction in which creative sparks fly and we lose ourselves in the joint action. In this paper we present the results of an experiment to compare the effect representation of identity in a user interface, and task instruction, has on mutual engagement between remote participants. Surprisingly the results indicate that providing no cues to identity increased mutual engagement between participants. We also discuss the appropriateness of quantitative, qualitative, and self-report data for identifying points of mutual engagement.