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Yes and no, I think might be the answer. (As a point of information, SD is not agent based modeling, it is continuous flow modeling.) I do not know of an SD model in which individuals in a population can be observed scratching their heads just prior to shouting "Ah-Ha!!". On the other hand, if I have data that suggests the rate at which an idea spreads through a population, I can model the diffusion of the idea, and the circumstances under which it will reach a tipping point, or whether it will sputter and die. Related, I may not be able to model precisely how I get the flu, but I can model an epidemic, and the factors that influence its penetration into a population. Also noteworthy is the acknowledgment that SD, like any model, is at best an approximation of reality, that is, the amalgamation of mental models, each of which is its own approximation of reality. All of the scenarios you inquire about could be seen as manifestations of diffusion, so in that regard, the answer might be yes. Scott, can you pose a more specific scenario, and perhaps a more specific response might be possible? Bill Braun Scott Moss wrote: > I wonder if proponents of system dynamics for social modelling can point > to system dynamics models in which > > * agents learn from each other > * agents reason > * social relations evolve > * social norms emerge > > I had the impression that none of these is modelled naturally in the > system dynamics framework. > > Thanks. > Scott > > On Sat, 2007-01-06 at 15:03 -0800, Stan Rifkin wrote: > >> I think system dynamics is the modeling method of choice for social >> systems, and there is a long list of such models >> > > > -- There's nothing more practical than a good theory. -Lewin