Analyzing the spread of rule-breaking behavior, focusing on talking in class, based on decision matrices in a critical mass model with local interaction

Abstract

A questionnaire and a computer simulation were used to investigate the validity of a critical mass model of rule-breaking behavior with local interaction. In this model, individuals were only able to perceive some of their neighbors’ behavior. The questionnaire assessed attitudes toward and the frequency of rule-breaking behavior, and 887 valid responses were obtained from Japanese junior high school students. Computer simulations based on cellular automata were conducted using the questionnaire data. The outputs of the simulations including local interactions showed strong positive correlations with the rule-breaking frequencies obtained with the questionnaire. These findings imply that models taking the limits of perception into account could be useful for describing real micro-macro relationships.