Dynamical Systems in Psychological Science

Question 1

What is a Dynamical System?

Answer 1

System that evolves/changes over time

Question 2

Complex System

Answer 2

–> large number of interacting components or agents
- non-linear
- exhibit emergence
- self-organised

Question 3

Craig W. Reynold’s Flocking Model.
Agents in a 2-D or 3-D world follow what rules:

Answer 3

1. Alignment
2. Cohesion
3. Separation

Question 4

Correlated Fractal =

Answer 4

Complexity Matching

Question 5

In-Phase and Anit-Phase Coordination:

Answer 5

In-Phase = both going outwards
Anti-Phase = both going right

Question 6

Social Motor Coordination

Answer 6

• More harmonious interactions (e.g., Miles et al., 2010, 2009)
• More rapport (e.g., Hove & , 2010).
• More social connection (e.g., Marsh et al., 2009).
• Can reduce perceived interpersonal differences and decrease prejudice (e.g., Miles et al., 2011).
• Results in better individual and interpersonal task performance (e.g., Richardson et al., 2005; Tolston et al. 2010).

Question 7

(Varlet & Richardson, 2015) …

Answer 7

Competitive running and sprinting
–> examined the stride coordination between Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay (Berlin, 2009)

Question 8

Dynamic System:

Answer 8

Set of rules or equations that determine/define the future state of a system given the current state of the system

Question 9

Computational Dynamical System

Answer 9

A set of rules or equations that determine the future states of a dynamical system at discrete timesteps

Question 10

Chaos

Answer 10

Behaviour that is:
- determinism (definate rule)
- aperiodic (never repeats)
- bounded (stays within a finite range)
- exhibits sensitive independence on initial conditions (two points initial close will drift apart timely)

Question 11

Continuous Dynaical System

Answer 11

A set of rules or equations that deterine the future states of a dynamical system continuously over time
(differential equations)

Question 12

Dynamical Models of Stable Behavioural States

Answer 12

An equation that determines the stable states of a dynamical system.

Question 13

Schelling’s Segregation Model:

Answer 13

following rules:
* Stay if at least third of neighbors are
the same kind
* Move to random location otherwise

Question 14

Multi-Agent Sheparding Model. Nalepka, Kallen, Chemero, Saltzman, & Richardson (2017).

Answer 14

teo players required to heard a small flock of sheep into a central containment region

1. Corral: Move to the position of the target furthest from the containment region and closest to me + some positive preferred distance offset.
2. Contain: When all targets are in containment region, oscillate around the herd on ‘my’ side of game field.

Question 15

Multi-Agent Shepherding: Turing Test Nalepka, Kallen, Chemero, Saltzman, & Richardson (2019).

Answer 15

Participants in Human-AI condition: 70% of People thought they were interacting with another Human actor