Exploring large scale networks and unobservable counterfactuals
Abstract
Statement of Work:The PI proposes a two-thrust attack on understanding how system scale interplays with collective connectivity. The primary thrust will emphasize experimentation with different scale networks with similar topologies (e.g., centralized, small world, lattice). The question: what is the best network topology for a given problem? The second thrust will involve development of agent-based models (ABMs) of collective human performance. ABMs will allow for initial hypothesis development of how network topology will affect systemic performance under a range of behavioral assumptions. Further, ABMs will allow for exploration of counterfactuals that are unobservable in human experiments, as well as projection to system sizes that are impossible to implement with human experiments.Objective:The objective is to understand how connectivity affects how humans ~think~ together. Collective human productivity is a result not only of the sum of efforts, but the effective connecting of those efforts. Unfortunately, what is less well understood is how to do this. The Internet, in particular, offers the ultimate platform for connecting people in novel ways, and the last decade or so has witnessed the emergence of new organizational forms. What has not been substantially explored in the academic literature, however, is that given high levels of malleability in connecting people, how best to connect them so as to maximize collective efficacy. Further, what research there is does not examine scale as a factor affecting the relationship between connectivity andcollective problem solving. The proposed research will offer a paradigm for answering how to connect large systems of people striving for some collective solutions.Approach:The PI will be using the Internet to develop large scale experiments of collective human problem solving, varyingnetwork topology, group size, and task nature. He will supplement this work with agent-based models of collective human activity.Overall Merit and ONR Mission/Relevance:Of critical importance to the military is (1) how to effective pool the efforts of members of its organization; and (2) how to disrupt the pooling of efforts of the opposition. The 21st century offers dramatically new ways of organizing the efforts of many individuals, and it will be critical to the success of the 21st military to understand possible interventions that will amplify/diminish the effectiveness of the collective efforts of many people
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 12, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141612662
Entities
People
- David M.j. Lazer
Organizations
- Northeastern University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy