Social Constructs and Boundedly Rational Actors

Abstract

In this paper we sketch a framework for multi-actor simulation of organisations. This framework elaborates the interaction and cooperation of actors based on social constructs. Because of the demands of the task environment, in which tasks often cannot be done alone, actors have to cooperate. Cooperation is only possible based on intertwined habits and mutual commitments that are expressed in sign structures, such as agreements, contracts and plans. At a semiotical level of description, these sign structures are seen as social constructs. Social constructs guide the formation and reinforcement of habits of individual actors that are aimed at cooperation, coordination and socially accepted behaviour. In contrast to many approaches to multi-actor simulation, we design the actors as cognitively plausible actors. We use the cognitive architecture ACT-R for modelling the individual actors. This cognitive architecture implements a part of Simon’s bounded rationality. In the recent discussion about bounded rationality, fast and frugal heuristics play an important role. Some of these heuristics will be included in the simulation model as a compensation mechanism for the limits to rationality.