Cognitive and Neurodiversity in Groups: A Systemic and Integrative Review

This paper reviews the literature on cognitive and neurodiversity in groups as they relate to group processes, emergent states, and outcomes. We build on a taxonomy of convergent and divergent process gains and losses in groups, put forward an integrative framework for the empirical research results, and distinguish between cognitive and neurodiversity as horizontal and vertical differentiation in groups. We argue that when conceptualized as vertical differentiation, cognitive and neurodiversity trigger convergent and divergent process losses, whereas when conceptualized as horizontal differentiation, they chiefly trigger convergent and divergent process gains. Building on this framework, we identify directions for future research on cognitive and neurodiversity in groups.