Potential for Conflict Index: Hunters' responses to chronic wasting disease

A goal of human dimensions research is to provide input that will improve decision making regarding wildlife management. When communicating results to managers, it is imperative that human dimensions researchers provide clear statistical information and convey the practical implications of their findings. To assist this effort, this paper describes a formula for computing a Potential for Conflict Index (PCI) and presents a graphic technique for displaying results. The PCI values range between 0 and 1, where 0 suggests no conflict and 1 suggests maximum conflict. To illustrate computation and graphic display of the PCI, we present data from a study of Wisconsin deer (Odocoileus spp.) hunters' attitudes and behavior in response to chronic wasting disease (CWD). Results suggest that PCI facilitates understanding hunters' behavior (e.g., likelihood of hunting) and attitudes regarding management actions (e.g., herd eradication) in response to CWD. The PCI allows managers to better understand controversial issues and take proactive steps targeted at specific stakeholders to minimize conflict before implementing a policy. We encourage researchers to adopt the PCI technique or variations of it.