Participant suspicion of KH compared to observed discomfort levels
| Hiders’ experience | Visual observations | Participant suspicion |
|---|---|---|
| High emotional and physical discomfort (Groups 7, 8 and 10) | Strong visible signs including avoided eye contact, physical withdrawal, frequent fidgeting, visible guilt expressions and high emotional/physical tension. These behaviors indicated a significant internal struggle with hiding knowledge | Surprisingly low suspicion with scores of 1–2 out of 5. Comments included “No one was hiding. But someone was afraid of discussion” (G7), “Everyone was open and honest” (G8) and “I didn’t feel like anyone was hiding information” (G10). Despite visible distress, participants interpreted interactions as transparent |
| Moderate physical discomfort (Groups 4, 5 and 11) | Moderate signs manifesting through subtle physical withdrawal, nervous gestures, object fidgeting and posture adjustments. The discomfort appeared more physical than emotional, reflecting moderate tension levels | Mixed suspicion levels across groups. G4 showed low suspicion (score: 1), whereas G5 (score: 4) and G11 (score: 5) reported higher suspicion. Comments included “One groupmate just sat and didn’t say anything” (G5) and “One teammate was suspicious” (G11) |
| Mild cognitive discomfort (Groups 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9) | Mild signs displayed through delayed responses, minor fidgeting and seat shifting. The discomfort appeared primarily cognitive, focused on response formulation rather than emotional distress | Participant suspicion of KH was generally low to moderate. G1, G3 and G9 reported low suspicion (score: 1), whereas G2 and G6 showed moderate suspicion (score: 4). Comments included “No, there wasn’t any withholding; I tried to share everything I knew” (G1), “No one was hiding knowledge; everything was clear” (G3) and “One teammate definitely knew something but chose to remain silent.” (G2) |
| Hiders’ experience | Visual observations | Participant suspicion |
|---|---|---|
| High emotional and physical discomfort (Groups 7, 8 and 10) | Strong visible signs including avoided eye contact, physical withdrawal, frequent fidgeting, visible guilt expressions and high emotional/physical tension. These behaviors indicated a significant internal struggle with hiding knowledge | Surprisingly low suspicion with scores of 1–2 out of 5. Comments included “No one was hiding. But someone was afraid of discussion” (G7), “Everyone was open and honest” (G8) and “I didn’t feel like anyone was hiding information” (G10). Despite visible distress, participants interpreted interactions as transparent |
| Moderate physical discomfort (Groups 4, 5 and 11) | Moderate signs manifesting through subtle physical withdrawal, nervous gestures, object fidgeting and posture adjustments. The discomfort appeared more physical than emotional, reflecting moderate tension levels | Mixed suspicion levels across groups. G4 showed low suspicion (score: 1), whereas G5 (score: 4) and G11 (score: 5) reported higher suspicion. Comments included “One groupmate just sat and didn’t say anything” (G5) and “One teammate was suspicious” (G11) |
| Mild cognitive discomfort (Groups 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9) | Mild signs displayed through delayed responses, minor fidgeting and seat shifting. The discomfort appeared primarily cognitive, focused on response formulation rather than emotional distress | Participant suspicion of KH was generally low to moderate. G1, G3 and G9 reported low suspicion (score: 1), whereas G2 and G6 showed moderate suspicion (score: 4). Comments included “No, there wasn’t any withholding; I tried to share everything I knew” (G1), “No one was hiding knowledge; everything was clear” (G3) and “One teammate definitely knew something but chose to remain silent.” (G2) |
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