Abstract for: Sensitivity Analysis Techniques for System Dynamics Models of Human Behavior

Human and social models are an important capability of system dynamics, and sensitivity analysis can be used to strengthen and better understand these models. To learn about which sensitivity analysis techniques are most suitable for models of human behavior, different promising methods were applied to an example system dynamics model, tested, and compared. The example model simulates cognitive, behavioral, and social processes and interactions, and involves substantial nonlinearity, uncertainty, and variability. Results showed that some sensitivity analysis methods create similar results, and can thus be considered redundant. However, other methods, such as global methods that consider interactions between inputs, can generate insight not gained from traditional methods.