01023491

Component

This paper describes how, through social interaction, people exchange information and influence each other’s behavior. The paper argues that social networks are formed and change over time in non-random ways and the paper also proposes a framework to incorporate the dynamics and impacts in micro-simulation of activity patterns. A core assumption of the proposed theory is that the utility a person derives from social interaction is a function of dimensions of social and information needs satisfied in the interaction. The extent to which dimensions of social needs are satisfied is a function of the degree of similarity between the persons involved in terms of their attributes and preferences, while satisfaction of information needs, for which social interactions tend to be instrumental, depend on cognitive factors. At the same time, persons tend to adapt their preferences so as to increase the utility they derive from their social networks. We derive the theory and models from basic principles and discuss results of a first round of simulations conducted to examine the behavior of the model.

01020180

06-0289

English

18p

2006

Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting

CD-ROM

Figures (2) ; References (15)

Activity choices; Behavior; Cognition; Economic and social factors; Evolution; Information systems; Information technology; Microsimulation; Social factors; Travel behavior

Data and Information Technology; Economics; Environment; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2006 Paper #06-0289

TRIS, TRB

Mar 3 2006 10:19AM