Social dynamics

WANDER JAGER: In the real world, normative and informative influences often work together, but sometimes, also against each other. For example, if you have been convinced that smoking is bad for your health, but most of your friends smoke, you might experience a dissonant situation. Moreover, some people are more sensitive to norms, while others focus more on information. This makes the diffusion of new ideas and behaviours in a networked society a more socially complex process. Increasingly, social computation projects focus on understanding how such social dynamics influence processes of change, such as growing towards a more environmentally responsible behaviour. In a project like SMARTEES, we explore how individual decision-making and social networks influence innovative processes in communities.

In the following exercise, we will explore how normative and informational influences operate together on a network when it comes to the diffusion of new ideas and practises.