Using Interactive Computer Simulation to Foster Perspective-Taking in Collaborative Decision Making

While many studies have explored the efficiency of collaborative management in addressing policy challenges (Koontz and Thomas 2006; Leach et al. 2002; Connick and Innes 2003; Thomson, Perry, & Miller, 2009), few studies have explored the role of computer mediated setting in fostering shared understanding by providing participants with an opportunity to experience diverse perspectives to understand the claims of other group members as legitimate. In this paper, we present the use and testing of a unique computer mediated design structure as a deliberation space for collective decision making. The paper employs a quasi-experimental setting, where participants take part in a resource allocation game. The game is explicitly designed to test the impact of power differentials on collective outcome in a collaborative setting. Through a series of scenarios, we test the impact of explicit power differential between participants on the deliberation and collaborative outcome, and especially how different role playing task affect participant’s contribution towards collaborative outcomes. The primary results indicate that the use of computer mediated design platform provides learning experiences to participants, and enrich their understanding of complexities interwoven in a collaborative decision making process. To gain deeper understanding on the effect of different role playing in enabling perspective taking, we conducted a pre and post analysis of participant’s empathy level. Interestingly, the results indicate that by adopting different roles, participant experience different perspectives, and there is change in their individual empathy levels. Overall, the results suggest that the design of governance infrastructures can be mindfully designed to encourage perspective taking among participants in a collaborative setting to encourage shared understanding.