Some Final Project Thoughts

This isn't particularly good or even described well, but it does reflect my current thoughts on my final project. Perhaps with your critique and commentary, I can refine my thoughts and put together a nice project. Race/Population Relations --A series of simple NetLogo models that illustrate an emergent explanation for complicated social behavior-- Some potential models include: #1. Antagonism between 2 races, with one racial group having superiority in number and resources over the other. - For most individuals of the superior race (red), they would rather live almost entirely with people like themselves (the exact proportion can be on a slider) - The red race will also have lower infant mortality, higher life expectancy, and greater freedom of mobility. An algorithm will use these values as inputs and will output a “quality of life” for the red race for each time unit. A “quality of life” will also be outputted for the inferior, blue, race. - In the red population, there will be a couple “allies”. Allies have no preference about whether they live with reds or blues. When they interact with reds, there is a certain probability (can be set by a slider) that the red will be converted to an ally. When the allies interact with blues, they bring with them resources so that the infant mortality, life expectancy, and freedom of mobility all improve. This increases not only the “quality of life” but by increasing the mobility, may also result in less segregation #2. Experiential learning. This will also be dependent, on some extent, to the segregation apparent in the NetLogo model and is also related to the subconscious association mentioned in Blink and is the basis of the Harvard Implicit Project. - All agents have two values: a superficial and real one. The reds all have a higher superficial value (9) than blues (1), but their real value is equal. Their self-perception is accurate, meaning based on their real value (5) - All agents initially perceive the other race by their superficial value - As blues and reds interact over a period of time, assuming there is not rampant segregation that prevents this from occurring, the perception of the other group becomes closer to the real value - If the perception of the other group improves, then the proclivity to live/interact solely with your own kind diminishes