Agent Based Simulation of Trust Dynamics in Dependence Networks

Online communities can be seen as service systems, in which actors interact providing, requesting or sharing resources for [co-]creating value. On the basis of the resources needed/owned for achieving a goal it is possible to draw several dependence links among the actors (agents), creating a dependence network. On the other hand, since trust is the key coordinating mechanism in community based organizations, by analyzing the dynamics of trust in dependence networks is possible to better understand the behavior of this kind of service system, viewed as a complex social systems. In this paper we develop an architecture of cognitive agents and of the environment in which they act and interact. This architecture will be the basis for implementing a platform for agent based simulation that serves as a tool for investigating the dynamics of information sharing, collaboration, and collective action within different service systems.