Event Date
- Time: 12-1PM, February 15, 2024
- Location: Kerr Hall 386, UC Davis
- Zoom: 974 4807 7707
Simulation in Communication Science: Insights From a Non-Expert
Richard Huskey
Abstract: Communication scientists regularly employ surveys and experiments to study processes of interests. However, not all processes can be studied using these approaches. Sometimes, it is impossible to gather human data. What is a communication scientist to do? Simulation offers a powerful tool for testing theoretical processes of interest, even in the absence of human data. In this talk, I discuss two cases where simulation can be particularly useful. In the first case, I show how programming a robot to behave like an idealized human can shed insight into both theory and our capacity for theory testing. In the second case, I demonstrate how simulation can be used as a tool for identifying candidate mechanisms that might govern observational data. The talk showcases research from several faculty and graduate students in the Department, and offers some practical suggestions for how to start using simulation in a research program.
Bio: Richard Huskey (PhD, University of California Santa Barbara) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and the Cognitive Science Program at the University of California Davis. Dr. Huskey is the principal investigator in the Cognitive Communication Science Lab, a researcher in the Computational Communication Research Lab, an affiliated faculty member at the Center for Mind and Brain, an affiliated faculty member in the Designated Emphasis in Computational Social Science, Chair of the International Communication Association Communication Science and Biology interest group, and an Associate Editor at Journal of Communication.
The series: The Department of Communication Brown Bag Series is a regular meeting for developments in Communication and related disciplines, hosted by the UC Davis Department of Communication. It is held at noon on most Thursdays during the academic year.