the three populations under investigation will exhibit the same mean acceptance of RAS as one another. Despite the central exploratory nature of the current research, several additional specific hypotheses were evaluated: a) For all three populations, an increase in comfort with technology would be coupled with an increase in acceptance of RAS. b) Both the patient population and the practitioner population believe that RAS shortens the post-operative recovery time. PERCEPTIONS OF SURGICAL ROBOTICS - Gilbert, Kechris, Marchese, Pelletier - 11 - c) The RAS length of the learning curve as perceived by the patient population is higher than that of the practitioner population. Methodology Survey Development Due to the apparent lack of research on the topic of perceptions of robot-assisted surgery, the research team identified qualitative hypotheses based on what quantitative research was available. In order to correctly test the hypotheses questions were developed. Initially, the questions started with identifying the subjects understanding and perception of robot-assisted surgery and determining how much they knew about it. It was crucial to learn who they thought was in control of the surgery, because robots are usually associated with artificial intelligence or autonomous actions. However, with the da Vinci system, the doctor has full control of the procedure and the surgical tools will not move without his input. The research team then started to explore these preconceptions and possible causes of them. Influences such as one’s familiarity and frequency of use of technology might affect how they perceive the system. The research team suspects that someone who uses a computer everyday (not only for work but also for leisure) might have a better level of comfort with and understanding of how the da Vinci system works than someone who rarely uses technology. Once the possible influential factors were determined through experiences observing robotassisted surgical procedures, interviews, and literature reviews, the group began to consider how these factors may also influence the subject’s understanding of the impact of the procedure. From literature, the variables most heavily influenced by robot-assisted surgery appear to be recovery time and procedural length. Through the research team’s continued research, it was deduced that other, less pursued differences might exist. For example, overall cost to the hospital was included. In addition to PERCEPTIONS OF SURGICAL ROBOTICS - Gilbert, Kechris, Marchese, Pelletier - 12 - cost, another variable influenced by robot-assisted surgery would be the learning curve associated with such a complex system. The research team developed a set of survey questions and a corresponding set of responses for each question. It was vital that each answer set contained all possible answers and was easily compared to other data. We established that we would use a sequential answer key like a Likert scale, a set of answers that had increasing qualifiers. For example, when creating the answer key for the robot/practitioner control during an operation, the group thought it best to use “no control,” “minimal control,” “major control,” and “complete control.” This answer set is clearly in sequential order with a low risk of overlap between the answers. Because of this organized system of sequential possible responses, the research team could easily compare the data from a question to the data from any other question, as they would both be operating under the same system. With the set of questions common to all three surveyed populations completed, we determined additional questions that were specific to each population. Each population would enter the survey with a different background and knowledge of the system from which we could gather additional information. For the practitioners, it might be practical to know when and why they would use robotassisted surgery over traditional surgery. For patients, we incorporated questions regarding how they first learned of robot-assisted surgery and why they chose they chose it over traditional surgery. For the general population, we inquired if they would undergo robot-assisted surgery if it were an option and how often they thought it was used over traditional surgery. For the purposes of the current research, the intended definition of traditional surgery was laparoscopic surgery. The research team was concerned that its own preconceived notions about robot-assisted surgery might influence how the questions were created and subsequently prime the answers of those who took the survey. To alleviate this, the group invited Dr. Laurie Fischer of Northeastern University in PERCEPTIONS OF SURGICAL ROBOTICS - Gilbert, Kechris, Marchese, Pelletier - 13 - Boston, MA to collaborate on the research project. Dr. Fisher is a psychologist who specializes in research methods. She helped to better understand the many facets of survey-based research studies. Through multiple meetings and multiple revisions to the surveys, Dr. Fischer guided the team in identifying and developing unbiased, effective wording for each survey question, along with appropriate response choices and proper validation of the survey questions. Collaboration In order to better understand the da Vinci system, the research team met with various doctors from nearby hospitals who are