NetLogo User Community Models

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## WHAT IS IT?

This model simulates people in a library and how they respond to others disregarding or enforcing the expectation of silence. It can be interpreted as a way of modelling how dominant social norms affect who is welcome and who is made to leave in a society. The optional presence of a librarian simulates the effect of an enforcing authority in regulating population behaviour.

## HOW IT WORKS

At setup, user-determined starting numbers of quiet agents (LIBRARYGOERS) and noisy agents (NOISEMAKERS) are placed at random seats in the library. Buttons are also available to add additional LIBRARYGOERS or NOISEMAKERS, as long as there are available seats. Once seated, at each tick, LIBRARYGOERS assess the perceivable noise level at their seat, based on any NOISEMAKERS in the vicinity. If it is unacceptably high, they may shush the nearest NOISEMAKER if it is noisy enough for them to become confrontational. Otherwise, they leave their seat in favour of an acceptably quiet one, or leave the library if there are none.

LIBRARIANS patrol the library in a random route and shush any NOISEMAKERS upon seeing them.

NOISEMAKERS, upon being shushed, have a 50-50 chance of staying quiet or resuming making noise. Upon being shushed thrice, they too grow upset and leave the library.

## HOW TO USE IT

Set the INITIAL-LIBRARYGOERS and INITIAL-NOISEMAKERS sliders before pressing SETUP to initiate the model with a starting number of each. LIBRARYGOERS are initialised with random noise tolerance thresholds and confrontation thresholds. NOISEMAKERS are initialised with random loudness.

Choose a REGULATION-MODE: "LIBRARYGOERS" mode means that library occupants self-enforce silence via quiet LIBRARYGOERS shushing NOISEMAKERS; "LIBRARIAN" mode means that all shushing is done by LIBRARIANS only; "BOTH" means that both LIBRARYGOERS and LIBRARIANS shush NOISEMAKERS; "NONE" means that nobody shushes NOISEMAKERS.

The buttons "ADD-LIBRARYGOER/NOISEMAKER/LIBRARIAN" introduces one member of the specified type to the library. Added LIBRARYGOERS/NOISEMAKERS route to a random available seat (space allowing) while added LIBRARIANS spawn at the librarian's desk and start patrolling the library.

Press SETUP to create the library and its occupants. GO runs the simulation continuously. STEP runs one tick.

The two plots show the populations of quiet (including shushed NOISEMAKERS) and noisy people over time, and the average noise level of the library's patches over time.

## THINGS TO NOTICE

Depending on the selected REGULATION-MODE, how NOISEMAKERS survive in the space differs. LIBRARYGOERS only intervene when their confrontational noise threshold has been crossed; otherwise, they simply choose to remove themselves from the situation by changing seats or leaving the library. NOISEMAKERS may thus be permitted to stay if the LIBRARYGOERS present have a high enough noise threshold to tolerate them. On the other hand, LIBRARIANS shush any noisy NOISEMAKER they spot, so NOISEMAKERS eventually all leave the library upon multiple shushings from the LIBRARIAN.

## THINGS TO TRY

Try varying the INITIAL-LIBRARYGOERS and INITIAL-NOISEMAKERS populations, as well as the presence of a LIBRARIAN, or more than one LIBRARIAN. These affect how well LIBRARYGOERS and NOISEMAKERS survive in the library.

## EXTENDING THE MODEL

One way this model could be extended is to incorporate peer influence dynamics: NOISEMAKERS could have a higher propensity for re-offending (being noisy again after being shushed) if there are other NOISEMAKERS nearby, emboldening them. Conversely, if quiet LIBRARYGOERS outnumber NOISEMAKERS, they could be pressured to remain quiet while LIBRARYGOERS would be more likely (i.e. confident) to shush the non-conforming NOISEMAKER.