title: The effects of social interactions on fertility decline in nineteenth-century France: an agent-based simulation experiment.
abstract: We built an agent-based simulation, incorporating geographic and demographic data from nineteenth-century France, to study the role of social interactions in fertility decisions. The simulation made experimentation possible in a context where other empirical strategies were precluded by a lack of data. We evaluated how different decision rules, with and without interdependent decision-making, caused variations in population growth and fertility levels. The analyses show that incorporating social influence into the model allows empirically observed behaviour to be mimicked, especially at a national level. These findings shed light on individual-level mechanisms through which the French demographic transition may have developed.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield College, University of Oxford, UK. sandra.gonzalezbailon@nuffield.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González-Bailón
authors.forename: Tommy E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D005298:Fertility; D005602:France; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations / Q000266:history*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011157:Population Dynamics / Q000266:history*