PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #21: Education.
Wednesday, August 8, 2001. Presentation from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Exhibition Hall

Group Information Gathering.

SUTER, JOHN¹, ¹

ABSTRACT- How do we get the public more involved in ecology issues? Hierarchies that we find ourselves in, whether for protection or employment, can have a profound effect on our thinking, beliefs, behavior, and what individuals are willing to share, to listen to or even to hear. Cultural tools include language, stories, games, and abstract symbols of trade and value. Games have traditionally been a way to sharpen survival skills. Correctly structured debates or games of Information Gathering may become financially self-supporting if the resulting information is found to be useful by the participants, and may have some momentum where the media has failed. This abstract puts forth work that has not yet been formally studied in large groups, but is presented here to stimulate discussion on the hypothesis: that Competition and temporary change in the Stucture of social groups can be used as a game of Information Gathering for self-education of the public on ecology issues. We explore the role of free markets, altruism, and selfish survival behavior as applied to Information Gathering. Deception and decision making in lower animals and humans are also explored. Definitions are presented on Information and Information Gathering, Tension, Games, Feedback, Models, and Learning. General examples of learning are presented for individuals and groups. Results can be compared with traditional polling methods used by the media.

KEY WORDS: Information, Tension, Games, Feedback