A Model of Normative Power

TY - CHAP

T1 - A Model of Normative Power

AU - Oren, Nir

AU - Luck, Michael

AU - Miles, Simon

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - A power describes the ability of an agent to act in some way. While this notion of power is critical in the context of organisational dynamics, and has been studied by others in this light, it must be constrained so as to be useful in any practical application. In particular, we are concerned with how power may be used by agents to govern the imposition and management of norms, and how agents may dynamically assign norms to other agents within a multi-agent system. We approach the problem by defining a syntax and semantics for powers governing the creation, deletion, or modification of norms within a system, which we refer to as normative powers. We then extend this basic model to accommodate more general powers that can modify other powers within the system, and describe how agents playing certain roles are able to apply powers, changing the system's norms, and also the powers themselves. We examine how the powers found within a system may change as the status of norms change, and show how standard norm modification operations --- such as the derogation, annulment and modification of norms --- may be represented within our system.

AB - A power describes the ability of an agent to act in some way. While this notion of power is critical in the context of organisational dynamics, and has been studied by others in this light, it must be constrained so as to be useful in any practical application. In particular, we are concerned with how power may be used by agents to govern the imposition and management of norms, and how agents may dynamically assign norms to other agents within a multi-agent system. We approach the problem by defining a syntax and semantics for powers governing the creation, deletion, or modification of norms within a system, which we refer to as normative powers. We then extend this basic model to accommodate more general powers that can modify other powers within the system, and describe how agents playing certain roles are able to apply powers, changing the system's norms, and also the powers themselves. We examine how the powers found within a system may change as the status of norms change, and show how standard norm modification operations --- such as the derogation, annulment and modification of norms --- may be represented within our system.

M3 - Conference paper

SN - 9780982657119

VL - 1

SP - 815

EP - 822

BT - AAMAS '10

PB - International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

CY - Richland, SC

T2 - Ninth International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems

Y2 - 30 May 2012

ER -