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Statistical Mechanics Approaches to Socioeconomic Behavior

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  • Steven N. Durlauf

Abstract

This paper provides a unified framework for interpreting a wide range of interactions models which have appeared in the economics literature. A formalization taken from the statistical mechanics literature is shown to encompass a number of socioeconomic phenomena ranging from out of wedlock births to aggregate output to crime. The framework bears a close relationship to econometric models of discrete choice and therefore holds the potential for rendering interactions models estimable. A number of new applications of statistical mechanics to socioeconomic problems are suggested.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven N. Durlauf, 1996. "Statistical Mechanics Approaches to Socioeconomic Behavior," NBER Technical Working Papers 0203, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberte:0203
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    Cited by:

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    2. Troy Tassier, 2013. "Handbook of Research on Complexity, by J. Barkley Rosser, Jr. and Edward Elgar," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 39(1), pages 132-133.
    3. Campi, Mercedes & Dueñas, Marco, 2020. "Volatility and economic growth in the twentieth century," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 330-343.
    4. Pierre Paga & Reimer Kuhn, 2014. "Contagion in an interacting economy," Papers 1409.2625, arXiv.org, revised Mar 2015.
    5. Witt Ulrich & Sun Guang-Zhen, 2002. "Myopic Behavior and Cycles in Aggregate Output. A Note on the Role of Correlated Quantity Adjustments / Myopisches Verhalten und der Konjunkturzyklus. Bemerkungen zur Rolle korrelierter Mengenanpassun," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 222(3), pages 366-376, June.
    6. Binkai Chen & Dan Liu & Ming Lu, 2022. "Opportunity equality and development: Rural income mobility and city size in China," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(11), pages 3602-3624, November.
    7. Pratap S. Birthal & Jaweriah Hazrana & Digvijay S. Negi, 2019. "A multilevel analysis of drought risk in Indian agriculture: implications for managing risk at different geographical levels," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 157(3), pages 499-513, December.
    8. H. Tordjman, 1998. "Some General Questions About Markets," Working Papers ir98025, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
    9. Juniper, James, 2007. "Philosophizing with a hammer? A critique of Mirowski's markomata informed by continental philosophy," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 266-283, June.
    10. Scott E. Page, 1998. "Uncertainty, Difficulty, and Complexity," Research in Economics 98-08-076e, Santa Fe Institute.
    11. Vandewalle, N. & Ausloos, M., 1997. "Coherent and random sequences in financial fluctuations," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 246(3), pages 454-459.
    12. Opolot, Daniel, 2012. "Social interactions and complex networks," MERIT Working Papers 2012-014, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    13. Antonio Doria, Francisco, 2011. "J.B. Rosser Jr. , Handbook of Research on Complexity, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK--Northampton, MA, USA (2009) 436 + viii pp., index, ISBN 978 1 84542 089 5 (cased)," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 78(1-2), pages 196-204, April.
    14. Canning, D. & Amaral, L. A. N. & Lee, Y. & Meyer, M. & Stanley, H. E., 1998. "Scaling the volatility of GDP growth rates," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 335-341, September.

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    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • I3 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty

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