Five things to know about modeling and simulation

Abstract

Modeling is as old as humanity. It is one of the ways in which we experience the world, teach our children, and entertain ourselves. The digital computer, on the other hand, is approximately 60 years old but as computing power increases and access to technology becomes easier, more disciplines are using statistical and computational simulations. From the humanities to social sciences, scholars are advocating for a computational branch of their field of study. This is very exciting, and we want to make sure that all disciplines stay connected and share their insights as they grow in their respective areas. Religion is a complex system that consists of humans, society, culture and social constructs that have evolved over millennia. The study of religion relies on empirical approaches to collect and analyze data to generate or validate existing theories. Modeling and simulation allows us to venture beyond statistical observation and into an exploration of the causal relationships between the different aspects of religion. It provides us with (1) the ability to understand the system as a whole, (2) the possibility of projecting how religion will evolve in the future and (3) the capability to compare, contrast and merge seemingly conflicting theories of religion. In this article, we present five critical things that scholars in psychology of religion should know about the discipline of Modeling and Simulation. The goal of this short primer is to highlight the universal aspects of Modeling and Simulation and to provide a unifying view that transcends disciplines.