Tutorial Workshop on Agentizing Computational Models, by Francesco Renzini and Flaminio Squazzoni (University of Milan), Computational Social Science Italy Conference, University of Trento, Italy, Wednesday 15 January 2025
Agent-based modelling (ABM) is a computational method for understanding how social dynamics emerge from heterogeneous agent interaction. ABM allows researchers to study otherwise unobservable micro-level processes, and to derive and test counterintuitive explanations for the emergence of macro-level social patterns through agent interactions. ABM supports “generative explanations”, a principle articulated by Epstein (2006): “if you didn’t grow it, you didn’t explain it”. By iteratively running simulations over different initial parameter configurations, ABM allows us to explore how different agent behaviours and environmental conditions generate macro social patterns. Furthermore, advances in Bayesian computational statistics allow us to estimate parameter combinations that best match our model’s output to empirical outcomes. This makes it possible to infer the relative strength of hypothesised micro-generative processes, including those that are unobservable. We can therefore “grow” collective patterns and dynamics based on both theoretical frameworks and empirically estimated agent behaviour, and identify the specifications and conditions necessary for these patterns to emerge. Building ABM models requires computational social scientists to think critically about agent behaviour in specific contexts, translate behaviour into algorithms and code, simulate scenarios, and fit models to empirical data when available. In this workshop, we will guide participants in taking abstract social theories and “agentizing” them — i.e., translating them into algorithms that can be implemented in a programming language that simulates our agents of interest and their behavioural interdependencies. We will explore different scenarios and fit ABM to data using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). We will use an example of the formation of advice-seeking networks within organisational settings. This modelling process is essential in today’s research landscape, where the allure of machine learning and generative AI can tempt researchers to rely solely on data-driven models without a deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms. These large, data-intensive architectures often prioritise in-sample prediction over genuine explanation, and their lack of interpretability can lead to a superficial understanding of social dynamics.
More detail on the schedule soon! To join the workshop, please register to the Computational Social Science Italy Conference here.
Hybrid workshop on “Agent-based models of social networks”, Department of Social & Political Sciences, Seminar room, Via Conservatorio 7, 20122 Milan, 22-23 April 2024
Organised by the Computational Models and Designs Hub, and funded by the Department of Social & Political Science of the University of Milan under the “Departments of Excellence” MIUR grant, this hybrid workshop aims to explore new frameworks and tools to integrate agent-based modeling and social network research. It is especially targeted to the youngest generation of computational social scientists, e.g., Master and PhD students, who will be exposed to new research agendas by leading scholars in agent-based and social network studies.
The line-up of speakers and participants include:
Filip Agneessens (University of Trento, Italy), Jen Badham (Durham University, UK), Michal Bojanowski (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain), Federico Bianchi (University of Milan, Italy), Cristina Chueca del Cerro (Durham University, UK), Daniel Cowen (University of Groningen, NL), Andreas Flache (University of Groningen, NL), Yunsub Lee (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain), Alla Loseva (University of Groningen, NL), Miranda Lubbers (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain), Gianluca Manzo (Sorbonne University, France), Francesco Renzini (University of Milan, Italy), Christoph Stadtfeld (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), Christian Steglich (University of Groningen, NL), Károly Takács (Linkoping University, Sweden), Tanzhe Tang (University of Groningen, NL), Raffaele Vacca (University of Milan, Italy), Jochem Tolsma & Tibor Zingora (University of Groningen, NL).
The workshop is chaired by Flaminio Squazzoni (University of Milan, Italy).
BEHAVE Rendez-vous
The BEHAVE lab hosts monthly regular group meetings for all lab members, including guests, invited speakers and Ph.D. and Master students. They typically take place on Thursdays from 3pM to 5PM at the Department of Social and Political Sciences, Via Conservatorio, Passione building, seminar room (2nd floor), if not otherwise indicated.
The meetings revolve around everything that is relevant to research or training of the group, such as (but not limited to):
- Discussion of working papers to be submitted to journals (which should ideally be previously shared)
- Confidential discussion of review reports received on manuscripts submitted to journals, including ideas and suggestions for the response
- Mock presentations of members’ conference talks (or Ph.D. defence)
- Discussion of new (even crazy) ideas and calls for collaboration
- Presentation of research published by non-members relevant to the group (e.g., a recently published article or book)
- Discussing ideas for grant applications
- Advanced training: quick hands-on tutorials on new tools/techniques by group members (e.g., “let me show you how to make the best graphs with ggplot2”).
The goals of these meetings are:
- Fostering group cohesion and solidarity
- Stimulate new projects
- Ensuring that every member can be at the frontier of research
- Strengthening the quality of training
To join us or schedule a meeting, contact us at our email address here.
AY 2025/2026 Schedule
Department of Social and Political Sciences, Via Conservatorio, Passione building, seminar room (2nd floor) (if not otherwise indicated).
Schedule (to be updated)
21 October 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm (Conservatorio building): William Yick Chung “The Interplay of Social and Moral Mechanisms in the Evolution of Cooperation”
18 November 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm (Conservatorio building): Cristina Loria “Networks matter: The role of social ties in education mobility in Italy”
15 December 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm: Dennis Nientimp “What if seeding backfires? Adding Social Influence and Tie-Formation to Diffusion models”
14 January 2026, 3.30 – 5.30: Elena De Gioannis “Closing the STEM gender gap. A systematic review and meta-analysis of role model effectiveness”
11 February 2026, 3.30-5.30 (Room A, Via Pace): Tommaso Trulli “Measuring Social Contact Events and Their Momentary Contexts: A Real-Time In Situ Design Integrating Proximity Sensing and Smartphone-Based Monitoring”
9 March 2026, 3-5 (Room 24): William Chung “When are large language models rational? Memory, context, and consistency in moral and economic decisions”
14 April 2026 (seminar room, Passione building), 3-5: Pietro Saccomanno “The Social Dimension of Liver Transplantation: How Patients’ Support Network Influences Access, Decision-making, and Outcomes”
25 May 2026 (seminar room, Passione building), 3-5: Margherita Criveller “Swords for Hire, Ties That Bind: A Network Analysis of Renaissance Italian Mercenaries”
8 June 2026 (seminar room, Passione building), 3-5: Mariya Lenko “Birds of a Feather Marry Together: Partner Choice and Educational Homophily in the Marriage Market in Germany, 2006–2016”
17 June 2026 (seminar room, Conservatorio building), 11am-1pm:Caterina La Porta and Stefano Zapperi “Inequalities and health: a complex systems perspective”
AY 2024/2025 Schedule
Department of Social and Political Sciences, Via Conservatorio, Passione building, seminar room (2nd floor) (if not otherwise indicated).
Schedule (to be updated)
19 September 2024, 3 pm – 5 pm: Yick William Chung “How generative Artificial Intelligence changes work: Applying the task-based approach in the digital platform labour” ; Riccardo Sandretto “Agent-based modeling applied to the context of organizations in order to observe the conditions and dynamics of the emergence of cooperative behaviors within hierarchical structures“.
17 October 2024, 3 pm – 5 pm: Nigel Van Herwijnen “An agent-based model of generalized and particularized trust”
14 November 2024, 3 pm – 5 pm: Federico Bianchi “SOLIDITY – Population-scale solidarity networks in Italiano multi-ethnic society“.
12 December 2024, 3 pm – 5 pm: Minsu Jang “Nudging Costly Civic Duty: Insights from a Field Experiment on Poll Worker Compliance in Peru” (seminar room, Conservatorio building)
13 January 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm: Ayan Gupta TBD, Christos Charalambous “Social norm dynamics in a behavioral epidemic model”
25 February 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm: Vieri Pistocchi “Egocentric networks as determinants of health inequalities in adolescence”
25 March 2025, 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm: Matvei Isaenko “Unravelling the Relationship Between Social Networks and Institutions in Common Pool Resource Management”
29 April 2025, 3 pm – 5 pm: Ayan Gupta “What do we talk about when we talk about health?: online discussions of health on Youtube, Telegram, and Facebook after COVID-19”
26 May 2025, 2.30 pm – 4.30 pm: Francesco Renzini “Contagion as a Byproduct of Fear in Financial Markets: An Empirically Calibrated Agent-Based Model” (room 24)
11 June, 10.00 am – 12.00 am: Richard Green “Modelling ‘Invisible’ Care Systems: Using Agent-Based Modelling to Personalise Support for Unpaid Carers” (Milab room, Via Livorno 1, 2nd floor)
AY 2023/2024 Schedule
Department of Social and Political Sciences, Via Conservatorio, Passione building, seminar room (2nd floor) (if not otherwise indicated).
Schedule (to be updated)
8 November 2023, 3 pm – 5 pm: Nigel Van Herwijnen “An Agent-Based Modelling Approach to Social Cohesion“; Eduardo Coltre Ferraciolli “Agent-based modeling and the sociology of money: a framework for the study of coordination and plurality“.
12 December 2023, 4 pm – 5.30 pm: Pietro Saccomanno “Satirical Meme pages on social media: Jokers or Opinion leaders?“; Marco Venturini “An exploratory analysis of the Bitcoin transaction network“.
22 January 2023, 3 pm – 5 pm: Arturo Bertero “The political belief systems of Italian voters“.
27 February 2023, 3 pm – 5 pm: Gian Luca Pasin “A social tipping intervention to promote the adoption of reusable food packaging solutions“; Pietro Saccomanno “Using memes to engage the younger generations with news and politics, A field experiment conducted on 350.000 Instagram users“.
19 March, 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm: Margherita Criveller “Too embedded to fail? A network study of contracts and betrayal between states and mercenaries in renaissance italy’s warfare market” (seminar room Conservatorio building).
4 April, 11.00 am – 1.00 pm: Francesco Renzini “Network Footprints: A Laboratory Experiment on Brokerage and Information Diffusion” (seminar room Conservatorio building).
20 May, 3.00 pm – 5.00 pm: Kevin Tang (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf) “Navigating Human Behavior in Health and Education through the Lens of Natural Language” (seminar room Passione buidling)
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