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International Conference on Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling and Prediction and Behavior Representation in Modeling and Simulation

SBP-BRiMS 2016: Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Modeling pp 23–32Cite as

Modeling and Simulation of Sectarian Tensions in Split Communities

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Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 9708))

Abstract

We present a simple agent-based model for the evolution of between-group attitudes (measured on a linear scale) in a community that is divided between two distinct social groups (which may be distinguished by religion, ethnicity, etc.). We derive approximate analytical equations to predict the change in mean attitudes over time given certain assumptions. The model predicts that social pressures cause each group to tend towards extremes of hostility or acceptance towards the other group. Under some conditions, groups can have stable extremist and moderate factions, but very small changes in system parameters can upset the stability. Interpersonal cohesion (the degree to which individuals influence each other’s opinions) plays a significant role in controlling within-group polarization. We show that strategies to improve intergroup relations that target subsets of each group are much less effective when cohesion is low.

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References

  1. Thron, C., McCoy, R.: Affinity and Hostility in Divided Communities: A Mathematical Model (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2687353

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science and Mathematics, Texas A&M University-Central Texas, 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, TX, 76549, USA

    Christopher Thron & Rachel McCoy

Authors
  1. Christopher Thron
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  2. Rachel McCoy
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher Thron .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA

    Kevin S. Xu

  2. Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    David Reitter

  3. Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA

    Dongwon Lee

  4. University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Nathaniel Osgood

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Thron, C., McCoy, R. (2016). Modeling and Simulation of Sectarian Tensions in Split Communities. In: Xu, K., Reitter, D., Lee, D., Osgood, N. (eds) Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Modeling. SBP-BRiMS 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9708. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39931-7_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39931-7_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39930-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39931-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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