The diffusion of goods with multiple characteristics and price premiums: an agent-based model

Abstract

According to innovation diffusion theories, the adoption of a new product is the result of a dynamic process whereby individuals become likelier to adopt as others do. Agent-based modelling has emerged as a useful technique to model and study processes of innovation diffusion within artificial societies, as it allows to easily programme and simulate the interaction of multiple agents among them and with their environment. Despite a large body of literature dealing with innovation of diffusions, including the use of agent-based modelling, there has been little to no consideration of two elements that are important features of consumption: the presence of multiple characteristics of goods, and that of price-premiums on the presence of added characteristics. We propose an agent-based model of the diffusion of such goods, and study its emerging properties when compared to standard ones. Our goal is to try and understand how social interaction affects the consumption of goods that are complex rather than uni-dimensional, and whose prices depend on the number of dimensions (characteristics) that are present. Testing the model for different parameters shows that as goods become more complex, social interaction becomes an increasingly important explanatory variable for purchases. This opens up interesting avenues of discussion for those seeking to bring together innovation diffusion theories and goods’ complexity, and can be linked with a number of issues in the social and sustainability sciences.