Does a Group’s Size Affect the Behavior of a Crowd? An Analysis Based on an Agent Model

In this paper, we introduce a mesoscopic model that combines agent-based models with swarm intelligence to study the impact of group size on population behavior. Agents can follow collaborative or defector strategies. Two types of analyses, overall and type analyses, were conducted using three evaluation metrics: the number of agents reaching the exit, exit times, and the cost of paths to the exit. Findings show larger groups result in faster exits, while smaller groups enable more agents to exit with cost-effective paths. Collaborative agents excel in successful exits, but defectors have advantages in exit times and path costs.