When the Wisdom of Crowd able to overturn an Unpopular Norm? Lessons learned from an Agent-Based Simulation

A model of bystanders' effect on volunteering (in case of an observed crime or critical situation) is extended to incorporate the possibility of a sense of guilt (after nonintervention). Based on sound theoretical and experimental foundations, an existing model of the spread of unpopular norms is used to allow dispersion of an unpopular norm (a mild crime) so that a population of agents may follow or accept it. The question asked is why a society (as a whole) is not able to overturn an unpopular norm through interventions. The model and simulation reveal that a sense of guilt of bystanders improves the volunteering tendency. The simulation results also provide pieces of evidence of clear differentiation between the individual and societal perception of a crime. This is an important result as it suggests that, in a certain situation and community, we can predict how people will react against an unpopular norm.