Document Type

Report

Publication Date

January 1978

Abstract

The general goal of this study was to develop a functional model of the sociological and related hydrologic elements in flood control decision-making. Conceptual system models were developed for the hydrologic system and for the sociological system. The sociological variables were identified as they related to the steps in the process of the model. Following the conceptual decision process model the social elements of the model were calibrated from data obtained from field studies and mathematical equations were developed and tested. Finally simulations of the process were run. After adjustments were made the model was found to function. Several methodological factors were devised to make the model more realistic and operable. These were: 1) Distortion Factors, which are differences that exists between various actual situations and perception of these situations; 2)Importance Factors, which are measures of the relative degrees of importance of each of the major characteristics of a proposal such as economic, aesthetic, effectiveness, etc,; 3) Acceptance Functions, defined as a combination of the perceived value of a characteristic and the Importance Factors; 4) Expansion Effect, which provides for changes in behavior related to values that are in a latent state of unimportance to a state of high importance stimulating high level action; 5) Threshold Levels, that determine the point between no activity and public action. These concepts permit the model to adjust to changes in social behavior related to the social structure of the decision process. The system provides for the function of social values as they relate to the social structures and the hydrologic components.

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