Exploring the Acceptability of Spatial Simulation Models of Outdoor Recreation for Use by Participants in Public Participation Processes.

The use of spatial simulation models in public participation processes through multiple facilitated group sessions is explored in northern Ontario, Canada. Participants evaluated the acceptability of an agent-based model of recreational fishing while working through hypothetical management scenarios. Four main concepts are linked to acceptability: credibility, comprehensiveness, comprehension, and utility. These concepts were generally consistent across sessions. However, differences were observed in themes related to the concepts for some contexts. Consequently, recreation researchers and managers who want to use spatial simulation models with various publics should focus not only on the model's content and display of information but also on how the model is communicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]