From KISS to KIDS – an ‘anti-simplistic’ modeling approach

Abstract

A new approach is suggested under the slogan “Keep it Descriptive Stupid” (KIDS) that encapsulates a trend in increasingly descriptive agent-based social simulation. The KIDS approach entails one starts with the simulation model that relates to the target phenomena in the most straight-forward way possible, taking into account the widest possible range of evidence, including anecdotal accounts and expert opinion. Simplification is only applied if and when the model and evidence justify this. This contrasts sharply with the KISS approach where one starts with the simplest possible model and only moves to a more complex one if forced to. An example multi-agent simulation of domestic water demand and social influence is described.