The emergence of a shared identity - An agent-based computer simulation of idea diffusion

Authored by AM van der Veen, D Rousseau

Date Published: 2005-10

DOI: 10.1177/0022002705279336

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

Liberal theorists and, more recently, constructivists have argued that a shared sense of identity will decrease threat perception and increase international cooperation. But what processes lead to the emergence (or collapse) of a shared sense of identity? Drawing on individual-level experiments of identity change and societal-level theories of idea diffusion from the constructivist literature, the authors develop an agent-based computer simulation of identity change. Four findings emerge from the analysis: (1) there is a curvilinear relationship between the complexity of agents' views and the emergence of shared identity, (2) highly unstable environments encourage the emergence of a shared identity, (3) the presence of leaders (i.e., agents with greater influence in the population) in the neighborhood decreases shared identity, and (4) the interaction of complexity, stability, and leadership produces extremely polarized societies.

Tags

Agent-based modeling identity Constructivism threat perception