Human and Social Systems Modelling

Integrating social theory into computational modelling

Defence Science and Technology Organisation — national-security modelling

IGOR provided specialist sociological and anthropological expertise to strengthen a computational network model being developed in a national-security context.

The existing model represented connections within a complex social system but required a stronger theoretical account of the human relationships and social processes underlying those connections. IGOR’s specialists worked with the technical modelling team to identify relevant social structures, behaviours and dynamics and translate them into variables and rules that could be incorporated into the model.

This interdisciplinary contribution enabled the model to move beyond a representation of raw connections. By embedding the data within appropriate sociological and anthropological frameworks, the team developed a more rigorous and contextually meaningful model for exploring possible behaviours and outcomes.

What this demonstrates: technically sophisticated models become more credible when their assumptions about people, relationships and social behaviour are made explicit and grounded in the human sciences.