Call for participation

Workshop: Technical and non-technical aspects of modelling human decisions

Date: Monday the 16th of September 2024

Duration: 120 minutes

Place: SSC 2024

Organized by: ESSA SIG MOOD - Models of Human Decision 

Organisers: Loïs Vanhée, Umeå University, Sweden (lois.vanhee@umu.se) 

Melania Borit, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Norway (melania.borit@uit.no)

Friederike Wall, University of Klagenfurt, Austria (friederike.wall@aau.at)

Vivek Nallur, University College Dublin, Ireland (vivek.nallur@ucd.ie)

Models of human decision (MOODs) are one of the most central components and added value attributed to Agent-Based Social Simulation (ABSS). Yet, developing such models for ABSS involves accounting for an array of specific requirements that may differ from other areas in which MOODs are applied, such as non-player characters in video games. For example, in an ABSS context, MOODs developers should ensure that agents are at the same time realistic, detailed, and computationally scalable, while also accounting for how their simulation may be used and hence impact people and societies. 

Discussions about how to advance MOODs in ABSS should involve not only technical considerations about modelling and simulations, but also questions on how to ground these models in relevant sciences (social sciences and humanities, medical sciences etc.), how to show their validity, and what are the direct and indirect ramifications of developing MOODs for ABSS.

This workshop facilitates  bottom-up in-person discussions around topics relative to MOODs for ABSS (e.g. design, validation, documentation, ethical implications of such models). In small groups, participants will be provided three to five topics/questions/thought experiments. Participants may also propose questions they wish to be discussed. The main objectives of the workshop are to map the common interests and needs of the community interested in MOODs and to raise awareness about  alternative perspectives and approaches.

This workshop is intended to be an interactive addition to the SSC 2024 Special Track Sense and Sensibility and to be a meeting point for the ESSA Special Interest Group SIG-MOOD. Register to the SIG-MOOD here.