Publication: Simulación de procesos sociales basada en agentes software
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Publication Date
2007
Authors
Arroyo Menéndez, Millán
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Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (España)
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Abstract
La simulación social basada en agentes constituye hoy una alternativa para avanzar en el conocimiento sociológico desde una perspectiva metodológica novedosa, poseedora de una potencial vocación integradora. Su aplicación adquiere especial sentido cuando existe una cierta abundancia de datos cuantitativos, cualitativos, observaciones longitudinales o transversales y queremos (y necesitamos) ir más allá de las limitaciones propias de cada fuente de datos y metodologías, en nuestro intento por mejorar la compresión, explicación y (en lo posible) la predicción de los fenómenos estudiados. Además nos ofrece la posibilidad (latente) de articular más y mejor teoría y «empiria», una de las asignaturas pendientes de la sociología, ya que también permite realizar experimentos para verificar hipótesis, examinar supuestos o comprobar la veracidad y coherencia de los marcos teóricos. Los firmantes son miembros del Grupo de Agentes Software, Ingeniería y Aplicaciones (GRASIA) de la UCM y están trabajando en el modelado de un proceso social; las transformaciones religiosas de la sociedad española desde 1980. El artículo ilustrará desde esta experiencia y desde el ejemplo de esta aplicación concreta, las posibilidades, expectativas y también los desafíos, dificultades y limitaciones de la simulación con agentes en la investigación sociológica.
The Agent Based Social Simulation (ABSS) is today a clear alternative for advancing in the sociological knowledge from a new methodological perspective which has a incorporating vocation power. Its application acquires special meaning when there is a big amount of data (quantitative, qualitative, longitudinal or transversal observations) and we want (and need) to arrive further than the constrains of each source and methodology. This will be useful in our attempt to improve the understanding, explanation and (when possible) prediction of the studied phenomena. Furthermore, it offer us the latent possibility of articulating more and better theory and «empiria», one of the failing subjects of Sociology, because it allows to realize experiments for verifying hypothesis, examine assumptions or test the veracity and coherence of the theoretical frames. The signers are members of the Group of Software Agents, Engineering and Applications (GRASIA) of the UCM and they are working in the modelling of a social process: the religious transformations of the Spanish society since 1980. The article will show from this experience and from the example of this specific application, the possibilities and expectations, together with the challenges, difficulties and limitations of the agent based simulation in the sociological research.
The Agent Based Social Simulation (ABSS) is today a clear alternative for advancing in the sociological knowledge from a new methodological perspective which has a incorporating vocation power. Its application acquires special meaning when there is a big amount of data (quantitative, qualitative, longitudinal or transversal observations) and we want (and need) to arrive further than the constrains of each source and methodology. This will be useful in our attempt to improve the understanding, explanation and (when possible) prediction of the studied phenomena. Furthermore, it offer us the latent possibility of articulating more and better theory and «empiria», one of the failing subjects of Sociology, because it allows to realize experiments for verifying hypothesis, examine assumptions or test the veracity and coherence of the theoretical frames. The signers are members of the Group of Software Agents, Engineering and Applications (GRASIA) of the UCM and they are working in the modelling of a social process: the religious transformations of the Spanish society since 1980. The article will show from this experience and from the example of this specific application, the possibilities and expectations, together with the challenges, difficulties and limitations of the agent based simulation in the sociological research.