Robust convention emergence in social networks through self-reinforcing structures dissolution

Abstract

Convention emergence solves the problem of choosing, in a decentralized way and among all equally beneficial conventions, the same convention for the entire population in the system for their own benefit. Our previous work has shown that reaching 100% agreement is not as straighforward as assumed by previous researchers, that, in order to save computational resources fixed the convergence rate to 90% (measuring the time it takes for 90% of the population to coordinate on the same action). In this article we present the notion of social instruments as a set of mechanisms that facilitate and accelerate the emergence of norms from repeated interactions between members of a society, only accessing local and public information and thus ensuring agents' privacy and anonymity. Specifically, we focus on two social instruments: rewiring and observation. Our main goal is to provide agents with tools that allow them to leverage their social network of interactions while effectively addressing coordination and learning problems, paying special attention to dissolving metastable subconventions.The first experimental results show that even with the usage of the proposed instruments, convergence is not accelerated or even obtained in irregular networks. This result leads us to perform an exhaustive analysis of irregular networks discovering what we have defined as Self-Reinforcing Structures (SRS). The SRS are topological configurations of nodes that promote the establishment and persistence of subconventions by producing a continuous reinforcing effect on the frontier agents. Finally, we propose a more sophisticated composed social instrument (observation + rewiring) for robust resolution of subconventions, which works by the dissolution of the stable frontiers caused by the Self-Reinforcing Substructures (SRS) within the social network.

Modelling structured societies: A multi-relational approach to context permeability

“…Correlation is just an informal tool that helps us assert if some monotonic relationship exists. More research is needed to find out, for instance, if self-reinforced structures -like the ones reported by [39]exist in our multi-network structures. In particular, we are interested in finding out if permeability mitigates the effects of such phenomenon.…”

“…What happens is that the agents reach a state from which converging towards consensus is significantly harder. Villatoro [39] found that some complex network models lead consensus games to form metastable sub-conventions. These are very difficult to break and reaching 100% agreement is not as straightforward as assumed by previous researchers.…”

Modelling Adaptive Learning Behaviours for Consensus Formation in Human Societies

“…For example, Sen et al 3145 proposed a framework for the emergence of social norms through random learning based on private local interactions. This work is significant because it indicates that agents’ private random learning is sufficient for emergence of social norms in a well-mixed agent population; Villatoro et al 123742 investigated the effects of memory of past activities during learning on the emergence of social norms in different network structures, and used two social instruments to facilitate norm emergence in networked agent societies; More recently, authors in284446 proposed a collective learning framework for norm emergence in social networks in order to model the collective decision making process in humans. Although these studies provide valuable insights into understanding efficient mechanisms of consensus formation, they share the same limitation to answer a critical question, that is, how can agent learning behaviours directly influence the process of consensus formation?…”

Norm emergence in multiagent systems: a viewpoint paper

“…Sub-conventions [102,103] are an obstacle to 100% convergence. They can emerge in agent societies, where a smaller set of agents converge to a norm that is different from the norm of the majority of the population.…”

“…Neighbourhood size and topology can have a direct impact on convergence of a norm within a society because of the existence of sub-conventions. Sub-conventions can emerge in agent societies where smaller sets of agents converge to a norm that is different from the majority population [103]. These sub-conventions can persist and affect full convergence of the preferred norm.…”