Synthesis

Abstract

The main contributions of the book are developed in Chaps. 5, 6, 7, and 8. The integration of the results of these chapters helps in arriving at the quantitative feedback model and policy analysis of Chap. 6. Chapter 5 has created the qualitative-conceptual base. Chapter 7 contributed frameworks and a heuristic to the available validation methodology of system dynamics. These means of validation have supported the model development and increased its level of validity. Chapter 8 has created a measure of dynamic complexity to ensure that the model in Chap. 6 indeed captures that dimension. Besides the individual contributions of the previous chapters, Chap. 9 now relates selected contributions of the book to existing fields of research. In addition, it abstracts from the case study and develops a generic model about the co-evolution of norms. Chapter 9 thereby provides hypotheses as a means to advance existing research. From a methodological perspective, this chapter also conceptualizes a modular and generic piece of simulation structure (molecule) which can be reused in modeling nonlinear behavioral-decision rules.