Opinion strength influences the spatial dynamics of opinion formation

Opinion strength influences the spatial dynamics of opinion formation.

Opinions are rarely binary; they can be held with different degrees of conviction, and this expanded attitude spectrum can affect the influence one opinion has on others. Our goal is to understand how different aspects of influence lead to recognizable spatio-temporal patterns of opinions and their strengths. To do this, we introduce a stochastic spatial agent-based model of opinion dynamics th...

Social Influences in Opinion Dynamics: the Role of Conformity

We introduce a model to study the effects of social influences in opinion dynamics. In particular, we analyze the voter model, from a socio psychological perspective, by considering the role of conformity. Conformity is a central issue in social psychology as it represents one of people’s behaviors that emerge as result of their interactions. We introduce a voter model where agents, linked in a...

Social Influence and the Collective Dynamics of Opinion Formation

Social influence is the process by which individuals adapt their opinion, revise their beliefs, or change their behavior as a result of social interactions with other people. In our strongly interconnected society, social influence plays a prominent role in many self-organized phenomena such as herding in cultural markets, the spread of ideas and innovations, and the amplification of fears duri...

The Dynamics of Online Opinion

Opinion Formation and the Collective Dynamics of Risk Perception

The formation of collective opinion is a complex phenomenon that results from the combined effects of mass media exposure and social influence between individuals. The present work introduces a model of opinion formation specifically designed to address risk judgments, such as attitudes towards climate change, terrorist threats, or children vaccination. The model assumes that people collect ris...