The Matlab code included here allows to reproduce the simulations described in:
Acerbi, van Leeuwen, Haun, Tennie (2016), Conformity cannot be identified based on population level signatures, Scientific Reports, 6:36068, DOI: 10.1038/srep36068
The main script is “model.m”. To run the various conditions described in the paper is necessary to first uncomment the lines referring to the parameter(s) of the specific condition (from line 18 to line 42), as well as the call to the function of that condition (from line 52 to line 64).
As it is, the simulation runs the condition “Implicit knowledge” described in the paper, with D=1.
Once uncommented the desired condition, just call *model* from the Matlab command window. All conditions (excluding “Random copying” which can be realised by setting the appropriate parameters in any other condition, for example setting D=0 in “Implicit_knowledge”, or n_dem=N in “Demonstrators_subgroup”) are in a separate file of the same name. Type *help name_of_the_condition* in the Matlab command window to obtain some information (but please always refer to the longer descriptions in the paper).
The relevant output of the simulation is stored in the variable “copying”. “copying” contains the probability to copy versus the frequency of the variant, and it is used to calculate whether the condition can produce or not the “sigmoid”. Just type *plot(copying)* in the Matlab command window at the end of the run to have an idea of the results.
Contact alberto.acerbi@gmail.com for any additional information.