Growing Unpopular Norms

Authored by Christoph Merdes

Date Published: 2017

DOI: 10.18564/jasss.3374

Sponsors: No sponsors listed

Platforms: Python

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: https://www.comses.net/codebases/5289/releases/1.0.0/

Abstract

Unpopular norms are a pervasive and puzzling phenomenon of the social world. They are norms that are established and maintained against the interest of their subjects, but without external coercion. Pluralistic ignorance has been suggested as a potential explanation of unpopular norms. What is currently lacking is a formal model of this process that can be meaningfully compared with empirically known properties of pluralistic ignorance. An agent-based model of a growing social network can reproduce the most significant qualitative features, viz a deviation of the perceived norm from the preference distribution and the dynamical lag of the former behind the latter. In addition, the model is extended with a central influence representing for example central media or a powerful political elite.

Tags

agent-based simulation Social influence Dynamics networks Social norms Model Pluralistic ignorance Pluralistic ignorance