Predicting the emergent group structures in communication network situations: A computer simulation analysis(<Special Issue>Social Psychology of Networking)

The group-level findings in classical experimental studies of communication networks may be considered the out come of some complex psychological mechanisms. Alternatively, they might ve mere reflections of the task structures of communication networks, and could be obtained even if human subjects reacted \u27automatically.\u27 In order to resolve such ambiguity, a computer simulation model was constructed, separating the task structures and the artificial subjects\u27 response characteristics. This simulation model roughly reproducted the findings of communication network studies in terms of the following: (a) the increased efficiency of non-centralized networks relative to the Wheel network in the case of high task-difficulty; (b) role-structures in the respective networks; (c) the positions of \u27leaders\u27 in several networks research can be understood to be reflecting the task structures of the experimental situaitons to some degree. Implications and limitaions of this study are discussed.rights: 日本社会心理学会 rights: 本文データは学協会の許諾に基づきCiNiiから複製したものである relation: isVersionOf: http://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/11000631826