Publication
Choosing Theories Matters: How Different Learning Theories Impact Simulation Results Using Equine Stereotypies as Example
Veronika Kurchyna; Jan Ole Berndt; Ingo Timm
In: Social Simulation Conference 2025. Social Simulation Conference (SSC-2025), August 24-29, Delft, Netherlands, Springer, 2026.
Abstract
Cognitive Social Simulation combines agent-based models and psychological theories to explore the mechanisms behind individual behaviour and emergent social phenomena. We examine the development of obsessive-compulsive behaviours in horses to show how the choice of learning mechanism impacts derived policy recommendations. The experiments compare self-reinforcing operant conditioning and social learning both at baseline and with added interventions for welfare. Our results showcase how experiments with two mechanisms and similar baseline calibration are not comparable and stress the importance of expert validation in choosing psychological mechanisms during modelling.
