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Contrast or assimilation: choosing camps in simple or realistic modeling

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Abstract

The contrast effect is a psychological phenomenon in which people exaggerate their differences. When making social comparisons, people cope with the discomforts associated with negative comparisons by criticizing others and splitting into smaller groups of similar others or by assimilation, depending on whether they perceive themselves as the member of a majority or minority group, respectively. This contrast or assimilation phenomena can explain the exaggeration of differences among computational simulation scholars. Those exaggerations are discussed in this paper as well as some realistic reasons for differences. Recognition of our status as minority group members and the virtues of assimilation and mutual support are advocated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SUNY at Buffalo, 266 Jacobs Management Center, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA

    Corinne Coen

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  1. Corinne Coen
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Correspondence to Corinne Coen.

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My thanks to participants of the 2004 NAACSOS conference who reacted to the first version of this talk.

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Coen, C. Contrast or assimilation: choosing camps in simple or realistic modeling. Comput Math Organ Theory 15, 19–25 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10588-008-9044-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10588-008-9044-0

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