This paper introduces the MBSSM (Mechanism-Based Social Systems Modelling) software architecture that is designed for expressing mechanisms of social theories with individual behaviour components in a unified way and implementing these mechanisms in an agent-based simulation model. The MBSSM architecture is based on a middle-range theory approach most recently expounded by analytical sociology and is designed in the object-oriented programming paradigm with Unified Modelling Language diagrams. This paper presents two worked examples of using the architecture for modelling individual behaviour mechanisms that give rise to the dynamics of population-level alcohol use: a single-theory model of norm theory and a multi-theory model that combines norm theory with role theory. The MBSSM architecture provides a computational environment within which theories based on social mechanisms can be represented, compared, and integrated. The architecture plays a fundamental enabling role within a wider simulation model-based framework of abductive reasoning in which families of theories are tested for their ability to explain concrete social phenomena.

中文翻译：

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基于代理的仿真模型中基于机制的社会系统建模的软件架构

本文介绍了 MBSSM（基于机制的社会系统建模）软件架构，该架构旨在以统一的方式表达具有个体行为组件的社会理论机制，并在基于代理的仿真模型中实现这些机制。MBSSM 体系结构基于分析社会学最近阐述的中级理论方法，并采用统一建模语言图的面向对象编程范式设计。本文介绍了两个使用该架构对引起人口水平酒精使用动态的个体行为机制建模的工作示例：规范理论的单一理论模型和将规范理论与角色理论相结合的多理论模型。MBSSM 架构提供了一个计算环境，在这个环境中，基于社会机制的理论可以被表示、比较和整合。该架构在更广泛的基于模拟模型的溯因推理框架中发挥着基本的支持作用，在该框架中，理论家族被测试其解释具体社会现象的能力。