NCJ Number
103331
Journal
Environmental Impact Assessment Review Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1986) Pages: 255-263
Date Published
1986
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes a scored simulation game commissioned by the Department of Energy to assist in managing conflict associated with the siting of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) facilities.
Abstract
Public opposition to the siting of LLW facilities is predictable. Conflict is fueled by rigidity, suspicion, hostility, and lack of communication. The described simulation game is designed to facilitate a negotiated approach to facility siting. In a scored simulation game, players are given information to help them evaluate the value of all potential agreements. Players assign a point value to each possible outcome on each issue. Each player's goal is to obtain an outcome worth as many points as possible. In the particular scored game described, participants first negotiate siting criteria, and then they choose a single site from among several that meet the criteria. The scoring system is designed so that only a few complex agreements will satisfy the minimum scores of all parties. The game is designed to demonstrate that players will receive greater benefits if they work to help their opponents receive benefits also. An evaluation questionnaire obtained responses from the 34 participants on their negotiation approaches, their impressions of the dynamics between parties during the simulation, their motives for participation, and their perceptions of how experiences during the game might affect their behavior in real situations. Most participants indicated they had learned much about collaborative problem solving from the game. 2 tables and 3 references.