Open AccessZombieApocalypse: Modeling the social dynamics of infection and rejection
Author(s) -
Jan Rasmus Riebling,
Andreas Schmitz
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
methodological innovations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2059-7991
DOI - 10.1177/2059799115622767
Subject(s) - zombie , dynamics (music) , social dynamics , outcome (game theory) , mythology , sociology , topology (electrical circuits) , social network (sociolinguistics) , computer science , network topology , computer security , mathematical economics , social science , engineering , mathematics , history , computer network , world wide web , electrical engineering , pedagogy , social media , classics
In this article, we propose a model that we call ZombieApocalypse and that relies on agent-based simulation on a dynamic network topology. We simulate three strategies common to the zombie mythology and the sociology of figurational dynamics by Norbert Elias: cutting ties, being sentimental, and stigmatization. The simulation results are analyzed on two dimensions: the outcome for the populations of zombies and humans as well as the resulting changes in topology. We show that the introduction of social dynamics into these models leads to unexpected outcomes. Implications for more “serious” research on general models of infection and social dynamics are discussed.