Simulation & Gaming

This article provides an updated survey of recent advances in game-theoretic analyses of terrorism. In particular, it investigates the government's allocation of a fixed budget to counter attacks against potential targets. The choice between proactive and defensive countermeasures is addressed, along with the impact that domestic politics has on this choice. Other topics include the interaction between political and militant factions within terrorist groups, the role of asymmetric information, and game-theoretic analysis of suicide terrorism. Throughout, the article highlights surprising results from the application of game theory. Unanswered questions are also indicated.

This article focuses on the research associated with the assessment of the cognitive learning that occurs through participation in a simulation exercise. It summarizes the objective evidence regarding cognitive learning versus the perceptions of cognitive learning achieved as reported by participants and instructors. The authors also explain why little progress has occurred in objectively assessing cognitive learning in the past 25 years and provide potential options for filling this deficiency.

Games are an effective and cost-saving method in education and training. Although much is known about games and learning in general, little is known about what components of these games (i.e., game attributes) influence learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is threefold. First, we review the literature to understand the “state of play” in the literature in regards to learning outcomes and game attributes—what is being studied. Second, we seek out what specific game attributes have an impact on learning outcomes. Finally, where gaps in the research exist, we develop a number of theoretically based proposals to guide further research in this area.

After years at the periphery of the social sciences, simulation is now emerging as an important and widely used tool for understanding social phenomena. Through simulation, researchers can identify causal effects, specify critical parameter estimates, and clarify the state of the art with respect to what is understood about how processes evolve over time. Moreover, simulation methods are often the most time-effective and cost-effective means of doing so and sometimes are the only means. This essay outlines current developments in the four main branches of social science simulation: systems dynamics models, network models (including neural network models), spatial models, and agent-based models. The limitations of simulation modeling are also discussed, along with methods for evaluating the validity of social science computer simulations.