Example: Multi-Pathway Events

Some events map to more than one ITS pathway. For example, job loss can increase both Thwarted Belongingness (TB) and Perceived Burdensomeness (PB). This example shows how to identify multi-pathway events and why they matter.

The Scenario

An employee loses their job. The event affects their sense of belonging at work and increases perceived burden on family. We track both pathways without creating two separate events.

Step 1: Create the Event

use behavioral_pathways::enums::EventType;
use behavioral_pathways::event::EventBuilder;

let job_loss = EventBuilder::new(EventType::JobLoss)
    .target("sam")
    .severity(0.8)
    .build()?;

Step 2: Check Pathway Coverage

if EventType::JobLoss.is_multi_pathway() {
    let (tb, pb, ac) = EventType::JobLoss.its_pathways();
    println!("TB: {}, PB: {}, AC: {}", tb, pb, ac); // true, true, false
}

Why This Matters

• Single source of truth: One event carries the full psychological interpretation.
• Accurate risk modeling: Multi-pathway events accelerate convergence.
• Cleaner simulation logs: No duplicate events needed.

Use multi-pathway events for real-world situations that simultaneously impact belongingness and burdensomeness, like job loss or bereavement.