Understanding and Harnessing the Power of Ideas, Persuasion, and Trust
Abstract
The objectives of this effort were as follows: (1) to identify and understand the research challenges that underlie the effective harnessing of the power of ideas, persuasion, and trust to enable collaborative performance; and (2) to apply acquired perspectives, data, and insights to leveraging the scope and thrust of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research's (AFOSR) basic science portfolio on trust and influence. Prior work focused on characterizing the causal dynamics of ideas and how modes of representation and conveyance promote influence, aid persuasiveness, and engender trust. The present effort built on this conceptual foundation. Work on identifying and understanding the research challenges for trust and influence involved the following: (1) the identification and engagement of over 40 global thought leaders from across the behavioral, social, political, anthropological, and computer sciences to aid in the identification of current knowledge gaps and viable multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approaches; (2) the expert assessment of leading edge advances and options for leveraging their value to the United States; and (3) the stimulation and elaboration of select research problems as whitepapers in collaboration with leading international researchers, and the evaluation of their value to AFOSR and DoD. The author's accomplishments for the year 2012-2013 included extensive online interactions with research scientists from around the world; attendance at two conferences, the NATO HFM Specialists meeting on "Social Media: Risks & Opportunities in Military Applications," held in Tallinn, Estonia, on 16-18 April 2012, and the Second South East Asian Network of Ergonomics Societies Meeting held in Langkawi, Malaysia, on 8-12 July; attendance as a subject matter expert at four onsite technical and proposal reviews (Stanford University, CA; EOARD London, UK; Tokyo, Japan; Wright-Patterson AFB, OH); and solicitation of 22 whitepapers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 17, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA586563
Entities
People
- Kenneth R. Boff