Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Abstract:
This article demonstrates the use of participatory simulation (PS) techniques in the context of gaming and behavioural analysis. Typically, PS tools are conceptualized for educational purposes. We extend this traditional framework by developing a multiplayer game with the purpose of investigating behavioural effects of leadership in collective mobility decisions. The game was implemented with the NetLogo extension HubNet. Each participant in the game controlled one agent. The game’s goal was to reach predefined destinations via fixed routes and to obtain the maximum score. To reach destinations, players had the choice between the transport modes of bus and car. They obtained points (two points for bus, one for car) for the selection of the mode that was chosen by the minority of participants. Furthermore, a proportion of the players were given allegedly true information about the mobility choice of participants who had real-life leadership positions. The game’s outcomes do not reveal substantial influences of leadership on individual mobility decisions. Personal choices depend, rather, on the assessment of other players’ behaviour and of local traffic conditions. The study also exposes an important limitation of HubNet that lies in the visualization of information on the HubNet interface.