How do small decisions shape large-scale systems?
Join us for a relaxed conversation about agent-based modeling (ABM), a method that creates virtual populations to explore how individual behaviors interact to produce system-wide patterns. Our host, Kai Bellman, will be joined by three researchers applying ABM to real-world challenges: Thorid Wagenblast, whose models examine how households adapt to climate change, Lynn de Jager, who develops behaviorally informed simulations of household energy decisions, and Liz Verbeek, who focuses on development and optimization of agent-based models on climate change adaptation.
Together, we'll explore the connection between the micro and the macro that lies at the heart of ABM: how everyday decisions accumulate to create tipping points, drive transitions, and reshape complex systems. Through real-world case studies and audience questions, we'll discuss how these models help us better understand—and ultimately influence—the dynamics of social change.
Grab your coffee, tea, or favorite beverage and join us for the conversation. ☕🧠
Recommended reading and introductory materials
Video on “What is Agent-Based Modeling?” (6 min)
Video on the Schelling Model (9 min) – one of the most famous agent-based models
Jackson, J. C., Rand, D. G., Lewis, K., Norton, M. I., & Gray, K. (2017). Agent-based modeling: A guide for social psychologists. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 8(4), 387–395. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550617691100
Eberlen, J., Scholz, G. & Gagliolo, M. (2017). Simulate this! An Introduction to Agent-Based Models and their Power to Improve your Research Practice. International Review of Social Psychology, 30(1), 149–160, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/irsp.115