126,434 research outputs found
Degree Variance and Emotional Strategies Catalyze Cooperation in Dynamic Signed Networks
We study the problem of the emergence of cooperation in dynamic signed
networks where agent strategies coevolve with relational signs and network
topology. Running simulations based on an agent-based model, we compare results
obtained in a regular lattice initialization with those obtained on a
comparable random network initialization. We show that the increased degree
heterogeneity at the outset enlarges the parametric conditions in which
cooperation survives in the long run. Furthermore, we show how the presence of
sign-dependent emotional strategies catalyze the evolution of cooperation with
both network topology initializations.Comment: 16 Pages, Proceeding of the European Conference on Modelling and
Simumatio
A Community Conversation on Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Services: Networks of Support, Gatekeepers to Care, and Non-Compulsory Fathering in a Black Urban Community
This study employed Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods to document needs and capacity around adolescent pregnancy and parenting in one predominately Black, low-income urban community. Using an iterative focus group method, we engaged 60 participants in a two-day community conversation. Quantitative data from an enrollment questionnaire and qualitative transcripts of the discussions are analyzed. Our results indicate that the community’s greatest capacity lies in a network of women. Men tend to participate in parenting more holistically once formal paternity is established. Neighborhood women typically introduce adolescents to prenatal care, so delays in revealing the pregnancy to them serves as a barrier to accessing prenatal care. Overall, participants want health agencies to uphold their formal social contracts with the community, but to entrust informal services to community members who have the necessary insight and expertise to deliver support and information that is usable in their social context
Emotional Strategies as Catalysts for Cooperation in Signed Networks
The evolution of unconditional cooperation is one of the fundamental problems
in science. A new solution is proposed to solve this puzzle. We treat this
issue with an evolutionary model in which agents play the Prisoner's Dilemma on
signed networks. The topology is allowed to co-evolve with relational signs as
well as with agent strategies. We introduce a strategy that is conditional on
the emotional content embedded in network signs. We show that this strategy
acts as a catalyst and creates favorable conditions for the spread of
unconditional cooperation. In line with the literature, we found evidence that
the evolution of cooperation most likely occurs in networks with relatively
high chances of rewiring and with low likelihood of strategy adoption. While a
low likelihood of rewiring enhances cooperation, a very high likelihood seems
to limit its diffusion. Furthermore, unlike in non-signed networks, cooperation
becomes more prevalent in denser topologies.Comment: 24 pages, Accepted for publication in Advances in Complex System
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