Re: [Swarm-Modelling] social dynamics

[Otto Cordero]

Darren,

I am looking forward to see the results of the model you have just
described.

Thanks.

Otto.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darren Schreiber" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2003 3:48 AM
Subject: Re: [Swarm-Modelling] social dynamics


>
> The next versions of the model will do exactly what you are describing.
>   I am basically going to take the current model and incorporate my
> advisors' theories about persuasion (John Zaller "The Nature and
> Origins of Mass Opinion" 1992).  Later, I will use a major result from
> my brain imaging work (supporting the contention that two distinct
> brain systems with different computational properties are responsible
> for some of the confusing features of public opinion) to motivate a
> computational model of political cognition.  I will either use Ron
> Sun's Clarion model ("Duality of Mind: A Bottom Up Approach Toward
> Cognition" 2001) or something similar.  This computational model will
> replace the very very simple five rule system that drives my current
> party model.
>
> While I have lofty ambitions for this party model, I should note that
> its simple incarnation has lots to offer.  One of the main benefits of
> agent-based modeling, in my mind, is that we can often show really
> complex and interest behavior emerges from a very simple model.  I
> strongly believe that if we stray from the KISS principle (Keep It
> Simple Stupid) it should only be when we have demonstrated that simple
> methods are inadequate.  And, even our extensions to models should be
> extremely parsimonious and high leverage (explaining a lot with very
> little.)
>
> I also agree that changing the agent's motivation to be in coalitions
> is a laudable direction.  My friends and I love to quote E.E.
> Schattsneider's phase "the organized beat the unorganized."  But, I
> think agent based modeling would be a very nice way of testing the
> conditions under which that is true.
>
> Darren
>
>
> On Wednesday, April 23, 2003, at 02:47  PM, Otto Cordero wrote:
>
> > Darren,
> >
> > I have reviewed your article and I have found some very interesting
> > issues
> > on it, it is mostly what I was looking for. If I understood well, the
> > agents
> > join in parties according to their political preferences, but those
> > preferences are static. I would like to see what happens if the
> > criteria
> > (upon which two agents decide to join together or to split away)
> > changes
> > over time, probably this criteria would be conditioned to the state of
> > the
> > environment or to the inner state of the agent. Another thing that
> > caught my
> > attention is that the agents' goal is to form the biggest coalition,
> > so in
> > this sense the coalition is an end by itself. I would rather like to
> > see
> > agents forming groups as a medium to achieve their goals.
> > I would work on this and let you know as soon as I have some results,
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Otto.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Darren Schreiber" <address@hidden>
> > To: <address@hidden>
> > Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2003 1:48 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Swarm-Modelling] social dynamics
> >
> >
> >>
> >> My model of political party formation does essentially what you are
> >> talking about.  Individual agents look around in the "issue space" to
> >> see what other agents have similar political views to them.  They form
> >> a coalition with their closest neighbor.  Recursively, the coalitions
> >> look to see what other agents or coalitions are closest and form
> >> super-coalitions.  The end result is political parties composed of
> >> coalitions of coalitions.  I haven't been working on this project for
> >> a
> >> few years, but an explanation, graphics, and the paper are located on
> >> my website: (http://www.bol.ucla.edu/~dschreib).
> >>
> >> I'm finishing my dissertation right now using brain imaging to study
> >> political thinking.  My next step is to merge the insights from my
> >> neural microfoundations into the macro-scale party model and show how
> >> ideology is an emergent property of political dynamics.
> >>
> >> On a much less serious note, the cocktail party model
> >> (http://zia.hss.cmu.edu/econ/homework00/2/cocktail.html) that Troy
> >> Tessier and I wrote at the Santa Fe Institute a number of years ago
> >> also has people forming social groups.  Agents search the room looking
> >> for someone interesting to talk with.  They talk until they get bored
> >> or someone more interesting passes by, at which point they move off in
> >> search of more interesting conversation.
> >>
> >> I am similarly interested in anyone pursuing this line of work, so
> >> keep
> >> me informed.
> >>
> >
> >
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