Amplified collective intelligence in large populations using deadbands and networked sub-groups

A system for conducting computer-moderated collaboration among a population of human participants using a plurality of networked computing devices, comprising:

• a collaboration server including a processor running a collaboration application, the collaboration server in communication with the plurality of networked computing devices, each networked computing device associated with a human participant;
• and
• a local collaboration application on each networked computing device, the local collaboration application configured to display a prompt to and collect input from the participant associated with that networked computing device, wherein the system is configured to enable communication between the collaboration server and the local collaboration application running on each of the plurality of networked computing devices, including performing of the following steps:
• send a prompt to the plurality of networked computing devices, the prompt describing an assessment to be collaboratively generated by the population of human participants;
• present a representation of the prompt to each participant on a display of the networked computing device associated with that participant;
• collect a set of initial numerical responses to the prompt based on input received during an initial time period such that each initial numerical response in the set is collected from a different participant of the population of human participants via a user interface on the computing device associated with that participant;
• store each initial numerical response in a memory accessible to the collaboration server such that each initial numerical response is associated with the participant the response was collected from;
• identify a forbidden deadband range associated with each participant's initial numerical response, wherein the forbidden deadband range comprises a range of disallowed numerical values encompassing that participant's initial numerical response;
• initiate a second time period for all participants;
• during the second time period, collect updated numerical responses from each participant via the user interface on the networked computing device associated with that participant;
• during the second time period, determine whether each participant has input an updated numerical response outside of that participant's forbidden deadband range;
• for a plurality of participants, display to that participant a real-time representation of updated numerical responses of at least a portion of the population of participants, wherein the real-time representation is repeatedly updated as participants input or adjust their responses;
• determine a final updated numerical response from each participant and store it in memory accessible to the collaboration server and associated with the participant the response was collected from;
• and
• compute a collaborative numerical response based at least in part on the final updated response provided by a plurality of participants and the change between each of their initial responses and final updated responses.