Norms disappearance in open normative multi-agent communities: A conceptual framework

Abstract

The dynamisms in open normative multi-agent communities produce changes to enacted norms where some becomes obsolete while others appear and emerge. Such changes result in obsolete norm derogation and eventually disappearance. Norm disappearance happens when the majority removes it from their belief base to avoid conflicts in the enactment of old and new norms. This paper presents a conceptual framework for norms disappearance in open normative multi-agent communities. Norms disappearance is influenced by five elements which are norms conflict; norm’s trust decay; high assimilation cost of low norm’s yields; norm’s yields decay, and violation cost decay. In addition, four parameters that affect on the values of these elements and thus on the decision of an agent to remove a norm from its cognitive structure are assimilation cost; yields value; trust value; and violation rate. Negative changes on these parameters prompt agents to think about the possibility of removing the norm. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014