Spring 2003
Tuesdays 12:15 Goldwater 604
Seminar Schedule:<http://math.la.asu.edu/~tom/cognition/math+cogsched.html>
On Tuesday, April 8, at 12:15 PM in GWC 604,
the Mathematics and Cognition Seminar will present
a lecture by Prof. William Griffiths of the Department of Family and Human
Development.
The topic will be:
"A multi-agent computational model of the evolution in children's
playgroup
formation"
| Current social science models are inadequate for predicting playgroup
formation in pre-school children. Most descriptions of this process
derive from post-hoc explanations. Physical, temporal, and psychological
factors contributing to the formation of these playgroups are currently unknown
but the dynamics of this evolution appear to have similar characteristics
as
other structures in social organizations (e.g., agent actions appear to
be
rule-based. We have rewritten the model as a multi-threaded agent
based
model (ABM), where each child (i.e., agent) possesses rankings on 10
attributes obtained via observational and rating scale methods (e.g.,
aggression,
prosocial, physical attractiveness). Other factors that we
hypothesize
to influence inter-agent play propensity is preference for a same
sex vs.
other sex play partner and recency of play (as a proxy for memory); to
represent
developmental change, each factor allows modification of its
putative influence.
I will discuss agent based modeling, this specific
model, and how we are currently
modifying the model to increase realism and
complexity. |