[Next] [Previous] [Top] [Contents]
Modelling Socially Intelligent Agents - Bruce Edmonds
Social Intelligence and Complexity
In addition to the aspects of social intelligence listed above, I think there is another aspect to social intelligence - that of coping with the overwhelming complexity that social systems can (and do) produce. This is a complexity which seems to grow exponentially with the size of the society, [4]. In fact it seems to be a hallmark of social systems that such complexity arises due to the variety of individual specialisations and hence relationships that can develop. A society consisting only of homogeneous agents only equipped with global communication mechanisms will not have the same characteristics.
Luhman has argued that one of our social institutions' primary functions is to filter out the complexity of the external world*1. This perspective highlights some other important aspects of social intelligence, including:
- the intelligent but restrictive selection of information sources;
- the development of rules to structure social interaction - either formally or informally (e.g. emergent social norms, or formal procedure);
- the development of binding long-term relationships (contracts, friendships, etc.).
A socially intelligent agent may thus seek to use institutions which help it deal with the complexity of social reality. The institution may do this by preforming considerable selection and modelling for the individual. If an appropriate institution does not exist (or is inaccessible) the agent may seek to construct one with other agents. The institutions may also regulate the social structures within themselves by various means such as rules, procedures and sanctions. In this way institutions can have a role not only in effectively simplifying the external reality but also in structuring and hence simplifying the social relationships that are internal to it. Such an institution may itself embed itself within a further institution for similar reasons, resulting in a hierarchical structure. Membership of different institutions covering different aspects of life may result in a parallel, matrix structure. Such an emergence of social structure is thus evidence of social intelligence.
Modelling Socially Intelligent Agents - Bruce Edmonds - 17 DEC 97
[Next] [Previous] [Top] [Contents]
Generated with CERN WebMaker