The computer-based multi-agent game HoneyComb, provides an experimental paradigm for investigating human movement coordination, leadership and other types of collective behavior. Using the HoneyComb paradigm, spatial temporal data of individual movement behavior can be collected and the development of behavioral patterns and collective structures can be analyzed. Our vision is that HoneyComb would provide new strategies for protecting crowds, for example it can have fast respondence identify affective approaches to leading a crowd to safety.
As long as a stable LAN and Java run-time environments are installed for each work station, there shouldn't be any problems operating software all the work station computers. A visual demonstration of the HoneyComb game who will make it possible for potential users to survey the whole process of setting up and running experiment to completion. Demonstrating the procedure will be Marie Ritter, a PHD student from my laboratory.
Select a location away from a high traffic area, such as in the computer lab or other specified area with individual work stations that can be configured as a local area network. Arrange for a 10 to 12 notebook computers of the same type to be used for the experiment on individual work station tables with chairs. With one centrally localized computer to function as the server.
Connect the notebooks to the server computer via ethernet cables and a network switch to create a local area network as illustrated. The server program and the client programs need a JAVA run-time environment which is available on all common operating systems. Install partition walls between the individual work stations to prevent visual sensory communication between neighboring participants.
Acquire one time-use ear plugs to be distributed to all the participants to prevent audible communication between participants. On the day of the procedure, assign the participants to their work stations and give the final instructions before the participants insert their ear plugs. It is crucial to the experiment that the participants not talk or otherwise communicate with each other while waiting to enter the work station room or while playing the HoneyComb game.
Then click okay, to start the session. The experiment will now be controlled only by the instructions on the screens visible to the participants. When all of the participants have clicked to indicate they have finished reading the instructions, observe whether the participants are mouse controlling their avatar dots on their HoneyComb virtual 97 hexagon play fields.
Have the participants start the testing phase in the central of the field and then left-click into the adjacent small hexagon of their choice to move their avatar dot onto the HoneyComb virtual play field according to the previously provided on-screen instructions. Only adjacent fields can be selected. After each move a small tail will appear for 4000 milliseconds indicating the last direction from which each participant tailed.
Allow each participant to partake in the experiment only one time to avoid possible biases. Once the game has been completed, have the participants fill out questionnaires assessing their demographic status. Big five personalty factors, perceived levels of stress or calmness and pay satisfaction.
While the participants are filling out their questionnaires, prepare anonymous envelopes with the appropriate amount of money earned in HoneyComb game according to the amounts computed on the server screen. Then distribute the earned payments to the participants as they exit the testing area and close the server program. When the server program has finished closing, transfer the data into two text files, marked by the day and time stamp of the experiment onto a USB flash drive.
In the representative experiment, two minority group members were informed about the location of one, two euro prize hexagon and five, one euro prize hexagons. The eight members of the majority group were not informed about the two euro prize hexagon and instead were shown the locations of six equally rewarded one euro gold hexagons. No participants were told that there were two different subgroups.
In the course of this experiment based solely on their movements without visual or audible communication. The two person minority group successfully led the other 80%of the participants to the two euro prize even though participant perception was restricted to only adjacent avatars on the play field. Surprisingly neither personalty variables nor computer literacy among the minority participants played a crucial role in their success.
Here are the main distances between group members overtime for the whole group, compared to both players who were informed about the location of the high reward two euro gold field and eight uninformed players are shown. By the end of the game, one uninformed player had lost the group and arrived on a single euro gold field. It is important to find a location with enough space for the 10 to 12 participants and their work stations and let the participants don't communicate while waiting for the game or during the game.
The game could be modified with environmental information, such as different cover stories, distinct participant avatars or communication via signaling to analyze collective behaviors in different settings. Our novel approach for conducting leadership research can be used to assess how leaders in a group emerge. And depend on the followership of others for successful leadership.
