Date of Award

12-2001

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Operational Sciences

First Advisor

Richard F. Deckro, PhD

Abstract

This dissertation develops new methods for the modeling and analysis of social networks. Social networks describe the complex relationships of individuals and groups in multiple overlapping contexts. Influence in a social network impacts behavior and decision making in every setting in which individuals participate. This study defines a methodology for modeling and analyzing this complex behavior using a Flow-Model representation. Multiple objectives in an influencing effort targeted at a social network are modeled using Goal Programming. Value Focused Thinking is applied to model influence and predict decisions based on the reaction of the psychological state of individuals to environmental stimuli. This research advances the science of Operations Research and its application to broad classes of problems dealing with social networks. Application areas span academic, private sector, and government analysis. Sample cases are used in this research from the private sector and government. Specifically, influencing foreign government decision making is demonstrated for the case of Iran. Counter-terrorism applications are demonstrated for a sample case using Usama Bin Ladin. The contributions of this research serve private and public sector users.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-DS-ENS-01-03

DTIC Accession Number

ADA397360

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