The Life of Concepts: An ABM of Conceptual Drift in Social Groups

Based on the premise that conceptual agreement (i.e., feeling that we share an idea with others) is always inferential, we develop an ABM that models the conditions under which a concept will gain or loose strength in the minds of individuals. The ABM is based on simple assumptions, generally consistent with psychological and philosophical analyses on the subject. We assume that different members of a population have slightly different versions of one similar conceptualization, that inferred agreement may be true or illusory, and that a concept that promotes agreement (true or illusory) increases its strength. Our analyses (simulated experiments and probability models) test the influence of several variables on the fate of a concept (i.e., whether it strengthens or weakens in the minds of individuals), and support the conclusion that the most important parameters are the probabilities of true and illusory agreement afforded by the concept.

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