A computational model for dyadic relationships

Pairs of agents, called dyads or ego-Alter pairs, meet, develop and dissolve within the confines and provisions of the built environment. Within the environment, dyads transfer and receive information from one another and the external world and use this information to (re)evaluate their inclination toward the relationship. Thus, any active dyadic relationship can be represented by three states: colocating (COL), telecommunicating (TEL), or evaluating the cost/benefit of sustaining the relationship, i.e. inclination (INC). At any given time, relationships can transition between states. These states/events are manifested within large datasets in the digital era. The numeric cost of colocating and telecommunicating can be computed easily with context from the geographic environment. Evaluating INC cost is more difficult, but relies on social network alternatives and personal values. When any costs change, agents reevaluate the cost and benefit of relinquishing some relationships for more attractive alternatives. We experiment with this framework using an example action script and collected data from 27 agents.