Collectives or How to Change Your World

Elsenbroich, C. and Verhagen, H. (2014) Collectives or How to Change Your World. Computational Social Science and Social Computer Science: Two Sides of the Same Coin, Surrey, UK, 23-24 Jun 2014.

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of modelling collective reasoning as a new, genuine form of reasoning, different from atomistic and social influence modes. We distinguish different modes of human decision making, discuss which modes are currently captured in agent-based modelling and present a model that captures a further, as yet not modelled, mode of decision making. Our conceptualisation of human decision modes is two dimensional with instrumental, normative and automatic along one axis and individual and social along the other. We argue for the addition of a third, collective dimension, which goes beyond the traditional conceptualisation of social as based on some kind of inter-agent influence dynamics. The collective dynamics is the result of an agent’s capacity to understand oneself as a member of a collective, group or team and change its behaviour accordingly. For this we will use the demise of the Sicilian Mafia resulting at least partly) from the rise of the Addio Pizzo movement, as a social movement against the Mafia, as a case study.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Elsenbroich, Dr Corinna
• Authors: Elsenbroich, C., and Verhagen, H.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU