Agent-Based Simulation From Cognitive Modelling to Engineering Practice

Constructing and executing an agent-based model provides many advantages in comparison to traditional simulation approaches. Increased degrees of freedom in model design, possibilities of modelling behaviour in restricted, heterogeneous geographical and temporal context, etc. are only partial aspects of its great potential. Thus with agent-based simulation, means are available to actually test cognitive models of human decision making in an adequately rich, simulated environment. These efforts may finally result in detailed cognitive models that are grounded in reproducible, practical experience, in addition to abstract hypotheses and theories of cognition. On the other side, in the agent-based simulation community the need for well-defined and reliable cognitive models is growing as complex human behaviour has to be reproduced in real-world applications. Abstract models based on rational optimization, and/or game-theoretic models are not sufficient any more, if complex decision making in urban space has to be modelled for enhanced pedestrian simulations, or if complex dynamics of team work are to be reproduced. The workshop aims at bringing these two communities together, demonstrating the current state of art in both research directions and distilling from the discussions and working group results a common research agenda