# ABMIND: An Empirically Informed Agent-Based Model of Psychological Distance and Environmental Protection Behavior

**URL:** <https://forum.comses.net/t/abmind-an-empirically-informed-agent-based-model-of-psychological-distance-and-environmental-protection-behavior/11259>\
**Category:** Model Discussion\
**Created:** [October 30, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.comses.net/t/abmind-an-empirically-informed-agent-based-model-of-psychological-distance-and-environmental-protection-behavior/11259 "2026-10-30T19:51:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fwh](https://forum.comses.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@fwh](https://forum.comses.net/u/fwh)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://forum.comses.net/t/abmind-an-empirically-informed-agent-based-model-of-psychological-distance-and-environmental-protection-behavior/11259/1 "2026-10-30T19:51:17Z")

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# ABMIND: An Empirically Informed Agent-Based Model of Psychological Distance and Environmental Protection Behavior _(1.1.0)_

ABMIND, the Agent-Based Model of Individual Psychological Distance, is a modeling framework developed to examine how psychological distance influences environmental protection behavior in coastal farming communities in southern China. Using household survey data and empirically estimated behavioral pathways, the model represents how uncertainty shapes four dimensions of psychological distance, namely temporal, spatial, social and hypothetical distance, and how these dimensions guide protection and degradation decisions. Agents include households, government actors and mangrove ecosystem patches, connected through social networks and ecological feedbacks that affect learning, expectations and perceived benefits. Policy interventions such as rewards, penalties and publicity guidance efforts work by modifying uncertainty and psychological distance rather than directly controlling behavior. ABMIND is implemented as a spatially explicit model following the ODD protocol, and a concise user guide is provided. In developing ABMIND we introduce a structured validation workflow that links statistical mediation analysis with simulation-based diagnostics, allowing empirical cognitive mechanisms to be systematically embedded and tested within the ABM. This integrated approach strengthens the credibility of psychological-mechanism models and supports their use in policy evaluation. The framework offers a methodological platform for integrating cognitive mechanisms into agent-based environmental behavior modeling and for evaluating policy strategies that support ecosystem protection. Model paper: ABMIND: An empirically informed agent-based model of psychological distance and environmental protection behaviour Ecological Modelling [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2026.111700](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2026.111700)

## Release Notes

Version developed for large-scale, long-term mangrove forest change prediction

## Associated Publications

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at [https://www.comses.net/codebases/719cc3d4-247b-43d7-9e06-95c4dd51b91c/releases/1.1.0/](https://www.comses.net/codebases/719cc3d4-247b-43d7-9e06-95c4dd51b91c/releases/1.1.0/)