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Abstract : |
This paper describes our preliminary investigations into identifying, and ultimately formalising, the wide range of social problem solving behaviour which can occur in multiagent systems. In particular, this work examines the different agent attitudes which may prevail in social problem solving, the different types of individual and social commitment which flow from these attitudes, how and why these attitudes come to prevail, and how the attitudes lead to overall systems with radically different properties and characteristics. 1. AGENT ATTITUDES & COMMITMENTS To clearly delimit the extent of this work, this paper concentrates on the dynamics of groups of autonomous problem solving agents who are engaged in cooperative problem solving. We assume that each agent has been assigned a particular role in the collective--- the means by which this assignment is made (e.g. through centralised or decentralised planning, through peer to peer negotiation, through the establishment of long-term organisational roles, etc.) is not of concern here. Within this context, three distinct types of agent attitude can be identified: (i) responsibility--- agents only execute the, |
