An agent-based model of stereotype communication

Abstract

We introduce an agent-based model of the communication of stereotype-relevant communication. The model takes into account that the communication of information related to a particular stereotype is governed by the actual and the perceived sharedness of this stereotype. To this end, agents in this model are capable of representing which stereotype-relevant information their communication partners hold. We estimate the parameters of this model with empirical data. The model is a step towards an understanding of how stereotypes are formed and maintained during inter-personal communication as a function of factors such as the social network that underlies this communication.