SOCIAL PARTICLE SWARM MODEL FOR INVESTIGATING THE COMPLEX DYNAMICS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

Social Particle Swarm (SPS) is a new model for understanding the dynamics between social behavior, based on game theory, and social relationships, based on self-driven particles. SPS represents individuals as moving particles with states (cooperate or defect) to capture continuity in social interactions. Each particle moves in a two-dimensional space based on the game-theoretic payoff obtained from social interactions, which corresponds to changes in social relationships, and influences subsequent social interactions. Simulations reveal interesting cyclic dynamics, consisting of three phases: formation of cooperative clusters, invasion by defectors, and cluster collapse through explosive dynamics. We considered that the cyclic dynamics reflects a dynamic aspect inherent in social relationships, and studied these dynamics using both simulations and experiments with human participants. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the dynamics, focusing on its mechanism and occurrence conditions, to acquire insights for understanding real social relationship dynamics.