Generative modeling of human behavior and social interactions using abductive analysis

Yihui Ren, Vanessa Cedeno-Mieles, Zhihao Hu, Xinwei Deng, Abhijin Adiga, Christopher Barrett, Saliya Ekanayake, Brian J. Goode, Gizem Korkmaz, Chris J. Kuhlman, Dustin Machi, Madhav V. Marathe, Naren Ramakrishnan, S. S. Ravi, Parang Sarat, Nathan Selt, Noshir Contractor, Joshua Epstein, Michael W. Macy

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

Abduction is an inference approach that uses data and observations to identify plausible (and preferably, best) explanations for phenomena. Applications of abduction (e.g., robotics, genetics, image understanding) have largely been devoid of human behavior. Here, we devise and execute an iterative abductive analysis process that is driven by the social sciences: Behaviors and interactions among groups of human subjects. One goal is to understand intra-group cooperation and its effect on fostering collective identity. We build an online game platform; perform and analyze controlled laboratory experiments; form hypotheses; build, exercise, and evaluate network-based agent-based models; and evaluate the hypotheses in multiple abductive iterations, improving our understanding as the process unfolds. While the experimental results are of interest, the paper's thrust is methodological, and indeed establishes the potential of iterative abductive looping for the (computational) social sciences.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 2018 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018
EditorsAndrea Tagarelli, Chandan Reddy, Ulrik Brandes
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages413-420
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781538660515
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 24 2018
Event10th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018 - Barcelona, Spain
Duration: Aug 28 2018Aug 31 2018

Publication series

NameProceedings of the 2018 IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018

Other

Other10th IEEE/ACM International Conference on Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining, ASONAM 2018
Country/TerritorySpain
CityBarcelona
Period8/28/188/31/18

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Communication
  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Information Systems and Management

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