0000000001195687
AUTHOR
Themis Dimitra Xanthopoulou
Modeling Marginalization: Emergence, Social Physics, and Social Ethics of Bullying
In this paper, we outline the construction and initial simulation experiment results of the Marginalization model (MARG). We experiment under different group parameters because the theoretical paradigm we follow views bullying as a result of social processes. Our primary research question explores the possibility of bullying emergence as agents select interaction partners in a university setting. Based on the simulated process, our results take indications of the stress of marginalization in a student group as a proxy for emer-gent marginalization. MARG simulates two types of interactions between pairs of students: forced and hang-out interactions. In the latter, students decide whether to …
Models, systems, and descriptions - A cross-disciplinary reflection on models
There are many different notions of models in different areas of science that are often not aligned, making it difficult to discuss them across disciplines. In this study, we look at the differences between physical models and mental models as well as the difference between static and dynamic models. Semiotics provides a philosophical underpinning by explaining meaning-making. This allows for identifying a common ground between models in different areas. We use examples from natural sciences and linguistics to illustrate different approaches and concepts and to find commonalities. This study distinguishes between systems, models, and descriptions of models. This distinction allows us to und…
Generating Executable Code from High-Level Social or Socio-Ecological Model Descriptions
Agent-Based Modelling has been used for social simulation because of the several benefits it entails. Social models are often constructed by inter-disciplinary teams that include subject-matter experts with no programming skills. These experts are typically involved in the creation of the conceptual model, but not the verification or validation of the simulation model. The Overview, Design concepts, and Details (ODD) protocol has emerged as a way of presenting a model at a high level of abstraction and as an effort towards improving the reproducibility of Agent-Based Models (ABMs) but it is typically written after a model has been completed. This paper reverses the process and provides non-…
On abstraction in the OMG hierarchy: systems, models, and descriptions
The Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) uses a metadata hierarchy with several layers that are placed on top of each other. The traditional view is that the layers provide abstractions related to models in languages defined by meta-models. Over the years, it has been difficult to define a consistent understanding of the layers. In this paper, we propose such a consistent understanding by clarifying the relations between the different elements in the hierarchy. This is done based on the Scandinavian approach to modelling that distinguishes between systems and system descriptions. Systems can be physical, digital, or even mental, while descriptions can be programs, language descriptions, specific…