flerkamratsmodeller

Flerkamratsmodeller is a term used in some Swedish-language academic discussions to describe modeling approaches that explicitly incorporate multiple peers or comrade-like agents within a single framework. The term combines fler (more/multiple), kamrat (peer/companion), and modell (model). Because usage varies across disciplines, flerkamratsmodeller are not a single standardized framework but a category of models that share the focus on interactions among several peers rather than single-agent dynamics.

In these models, individual states evolve through social interactions, influence, and cooperation among a network of peers. Typical features include a defined network structure (directed or undirected), rules for how agents' states change in response to their neighbors, and parameters that quantify social influence, adoption thresholds, or collaboration incentives. Methods commonly employed are agent-based modeling, network simulations, and, in some cases, system dynamics with multi-agent components. Data for calibration may come from surveys, experiments, or observational studies that map peer relationships and behaviors over time.

Applications of flerkamratsmodeller appear in sociology, education, organizational studies, and political science. They are used to explore topics such as peer influence on behavior or learning outcomes, team performance and cooperation, diffusion of norms or innovations, and the spread of political mobilization through peer networks.

Advantages of this approach include the ability to capture heterogeneity among peers and to analyze how network structure shapes collective outcomes. Limitations often concern data availability, parameter identifiability, sensitivity to network assumptions, and challenges in interpreting complex interaction dynamics.

See also: social network analysis, agent-based modeling, diffusion of innovations, influence models, consensus dynamics.