ABSTRACT
In the study of social phenomena, the term simulation designates either a particular observation procedure or a research strategy. Observational simulation can be seen as a game based on a scenario “performed” by a group of flesh and blood actors. In system-centered games, observation, analysis and interpretation are guided by definitive concepts, expressed in indicators for which an operational definition is given, as for example in the Interaction Process Analysis method developed by Robert Bales to investigate the communication dynamics in small groups engaged in problem solving activities. Analytical simulation, in particular simulation with agent-based models, employs computers to reproduce the operation of complex processes such as thought, decision-making, language, communication and social interaction. In objectivist simulations using agent-based models, the program structure stems from an explanatory and predicting theory of general validity.
