Gaming Polarisation: Using Agent-Based Simulations as a Dialogue Tool

Transitioning to sustainable systems often faces significant challenges. People from different backgrounds often have different views on sustainability, which may lead to group polarisation. To promote collective participation in the transition to sustainability, it is critical to understand the drivers of polarisation and promote inclusiveness in decision-making. We developed a Dialogue Tool based on the HUMAT framework to explore opinion dynamics such as polarisation in the community and find potential pathways to reconcile when division occurs. By simulating dissatisfaction, division, and reconciliation in the community, we studied how individual characteristics (such as openness to change and assertiveness) affect collective decisions. Furthermore, the Dialogue Tool can be used to test possible interventions to reduce polarisation and increase community satisfaction. Visual representations of community dynamics under different scenarios within the Dialogue Tool have the potential to foster meaningful dialogues among stakeholders, which may promote a deeper reflection on community collaboration. While limitations such as simplifications and lack of empirical calibration limit the predictive accuracy of the Dialogue Tool (although this is not its goal), it still shows strong potential for educational and policy applications. It offers insights into social influences, conformity, and polarisation in community settings, making it a promising tool for fostering inclusive, informed decision-making and strengthening community participation in sustainable development transitions.