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Publications

Publications by José Villar

2023

A reinforcement learning approach to explore the role of social expectations in altruistic behavior

Authors
Castanon, R; Campos, FA; Villar, J; Sanchez, A;

Publication
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS

Abstract
While altruism has been studied from a variety of standpoints, none of them has proven sufficient to explain the richness of nuances detected in experimentally observed altruistic behavior. On the other hand, the recent success of behavioral economics in linking expectation formation to key behaviors in complex societies hints to social expectations having a key role in the emergence of altruism. This paper proposes an agent-based model based upon the Bush-Mosteller reinforcement learning algorithm in which agents, subject to stimuli derived from empirical and normative expectations, update their aspirations (and, consequently, their future cooperative behavior) after playing successive rounds of the Dictator Game. The results of the model are compared with experimental results. Such comparison suggests that a stimuli model based on empirical and normative expectations, such as the one presented in this work, has considerable potential for capturing the cognitive-behavioral processes that shape decision-making in contexts where cooperative behavior is relevant.

2023

Economic, Environmental, and Social Impacts of Renewable Energies: What have We Learned by Now?

Authors
Ramalho, E; López Maciel, M; Madaleno, M; Villar, J; Ferreira Dias, M; Botelho, A; Robaina, M;

Publication
E3S Web of Conferences

Abstract
Renewable energy is an essential driver of the energy transition towards a more sustainable world. However, sustainability requires the coordination of the economic, environmental, and social dimensions, turning it into a complex objective. The aim of this study is to review the state of the art of the articles that analyze economic, environmental, and social metrics that can be used to evaluate the impact of renewable. In addition, this work also classifies metrics into two main approaches: macro-studies, corresponding to those that evaluate based on global and aggregated impacts, and micro-studies, corresponding to those that focus on regional and local impacts. A systematic literature review was used to identify and define these main metrics, based on common research databases. Seven metrics were found and described for the environmental impact, four for the economic impact and five for the social impact. The main finding revealed that micro-studies are more prevalent in comparison to macro-studies. Moreover, the systematic literature review allows achieving the objective and highlighting the proposed sustainability assessment framework as crucial for gauging and evaluating impact metrics across the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The difficulty in isolating and measuring each metric may be attributed to the challenges involved in studying the corresponding impact, whether at the micro or macro level. More targeted studies can help in a more efficient energy transition. © 2023 The Authors, published by EDP Sciences.

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