Abstract
This chapter demonstrates an approach to the agent-based modelling of norm transmission using decision trees learned from questionnaire data. We explore the implications of adding norm dynamics implied in static questionnaire data and the influence social network topology has on the outcome. We find that parameters determining network topology influence the outcome in both hierarchical and co-worker networks in a simulated workplace. As an exercise in empirical agent-based modelling, this work highlights the importance of gathering data on interactions in field studies.
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Acknowledgments
This work was funded by the European Commission through Framework Programme 7 grant agreement number 265155 (Low Carbon at Work: Modelling Agents and Organisations to Achieve Transition to a Low-Carbon Europe), and by the Scottish Government Rural Affairs and the Environment Portfolio Strategic Research 2011–2016 Theme 4 (Economic Adaptation).
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Appendix: Netlogo Code
Appendix: Netlogo Code
Theget-value-of procedure, called from the code shown in Fig. 2, implements the rules described in the submodels in the ODD in Sect. 2.3 as shown below. References to injunctive and descriptive norms are highlighted in inverse video. One detail not discussed in the text is the possibility that there are no co-workers, supervisors (for the top manager) or subordinates (for those at the bottom of the hierarchy). In this case, the treatment is the same as for ‘NA’: 0 is returned as the value of the variable. Another is that when assessing the descriptive norm, two of the behaviours (turning on the heating (BW.17) and turning on the air conditioning (BW.19)) are worded such that higher responses mean less pro-environmental behaviour. When reporting a descriptive norm (most of my colleagues behave pro-environmentally at work), the responses of colleagues for these behaviours need to be inverted so that they correspond to the sense used in the descriptive norm question.
to-report get-value-of [ var behav ] if (var = "Q4") [ ; Use level in virtual organisation report ifelse-value (level = max-level) [4] [ ifelse-value (level = max-level - 1 and max-level > 3) [3] [ ifelse-value (level = 1 or (level = 2 and max-level > 3)) [1] [2] ] ] ] if (length var > 4 and substring var 0 4 = "NIL.") [ ; Handle injunctive norms if var = "NIL.1" [ if not any? out-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.3"] [ report 0 ] ; Most of my subordinates think I should behave ; pro-environmentally… report mean [table:get data "NT.3"] of out-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.3"] ; … so use norm transmission to supervisors of those I ; manage ] if var = "NIL.2" [ if not any? co-worker-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.2"] [ report 0 ] ; Return transmission from co-workers report mean [table:get data "NT.2"] of co-worker-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.2"] ] if var = "NIL.3" or var = "NIL.4" [ if not any? in-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.1"] [ report 0 ] ; Return transmission from supervisors report mean [table:get data "NT.1"] of in-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data "NT.1"] ] ] if (length var > 4 and substring var 0 4 = "NDL.") [ ; Handle descriptive norms let desc-norm 0 if var = "NDL.1" [ ; Return typical behaviour of subordinates (use behav) if not any? out-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] [ report 0 ] set desc-norm mean [table:get data behav] of out-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] ] if var = "NDL.2" [ if not any? co-worker-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] [ report 0 ] ; Return typical behaviour of co-workers (use behav) set desc-norm mean [table:get data behav] of co-worker-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] ] if var = "NDL.3" or var = "NDL.4" [ if not any? in-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] [ report 0 ] ; Return typical behaviour of supervisors (use behav) set desc-norm mean [table:get data behav] of in-manager-neighbors with [is-number? table:get data behav] ] ifelse (behav = "BW.17" or behav = "BW.19") [ ; Here ’behaving pro-environmentally’ is behav = 1 report 8 - desc-norm ] [ ; Here ’behaving pro-environmentally’ is behav = 7 report desc-norm ] ] if table:get data var = "NA" [ report 0 ] if substring var 0 1 = "V" and table:get data var = -1 [ report -10 ] report table:get data var end
The code in Fig. 2 implements a behaviour (BW.6—drive efficiently) that does not use injunctive or descriptive norms. The procedure below implements the behaviour for recycling plastic (BW.22), which uses both injunctive and descriptive norms (highlighted in inverse video) in various branches:
to-report dt-recycle-plastic report ifelse-value (get-value-of "Country" "BW.22" < = 2) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 3) [ 0.7 + random-float 0.7 ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "WV.5" "BW.22" < = 4) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.3" "BW.22" < = 6) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 5) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 4) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = 0) [ 0.7 + random-float 0.7 ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] [2.8 + random-float 0.7] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = 2) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.3" "BW.22" < = 5) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 6) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "WV.5" "BW.22" < = 6) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "NDL.1" "BW.22" < = 1) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 5) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = 1) [ ifelse-value ( get-value-of "IES.3" "BW.22" < = 4) [ ifelse-value ( get-value-of "NIL.2" "BW.22" < = 1) [ 0.7 + random-float 0.7 ] [1.4 + random-float 0.7] ] [ ifelse-value ( get-value-of "Q5" "BW.22" < = 1) [ 1.4 + random-float 0.7 ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] ] [ ifelse-value ( get-value-of "IES.2" "BW.22" < = 4) [ 3.5 + random-float 3.5 ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "NDL.1" "BW.22" < = 1) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "SE.2" "BW.22" < = 3) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = 0) [ 1.4 + random-float 0.7 ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "SE.2" "BW.22" < = 6) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "IES.3" "BW.22" < = 6) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "Q3" "BW.22" < = 4) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = -10) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "NIL.2" "BW.22" < = 4) [ ifelse-value ( get-value-of "WV.5" "BW.22" < = 6) [ 3.5 + random-float 3.5 ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "VE.1" "BW.22" < = 1) [ 3.5 + random-float 3.5 ] [2.8 + random-float 0.7] ] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "SE.2" "BW.22" < = 3) [ 0.7 + random-float 0.7 ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] ] [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "NIL.2" "BW.22" < = 5) [ ifelse-value (get-value-of "NIL.2" "BW.22" < = 3) [ 0.7 + random-float 0.7 ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] [0.7 + random-float 0.7] ] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] ] ] ] [3.5 + random-float 3.5] end
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Polhill, J.G. et al. (2017). Interactions Matter: Modelling Everyday Pro-environmental Norm Transmission and Diffusion in Workplace Networks. In: Alonso-Betanzos, A., et al. Agent-Based Modeling of Sustainable Behaviors. Understanding Complex Systems. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46331-5_2
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