Opinion Formation in Laggard Societies

TL;DR

This paper presents a statistical physics model for opinion dynamics on networks, revealing phase transitions between consensus and mixed states influenced by initial opinions, network connectivity, and a laggard parameter.

Contribution

It introduces a novel threshold-based opinion model with network rewiring, analyzing phase transitions and the impact of laggard behavior on consensus formation.

Findings

Identified phase transition from consensus to mixed opinions.

Rewiring affects the size of consensus regions.

Higher laggard thresholds reduce consensus zones.

Abstract

We introduce a statistical physics model for opinion dynamics on random networks where agents adopt the opinion held by the majority of their direct neighbors only if the fraction of these neighbors exceeds a certain threshold, p_u. We find a transition from total final consensus to a mixed phase where opinions coexist amongst the agents. The relevant parameters are the relative sizes in the initial opinion distribution within the population and the connectivity of the underlying network. As the order parameter we define the asymptotic state of opinions. In the phase diagram we find regions of total consensus and a mixed phase. As the 'laggard parameter' p_u increases the regions of consensus shrink. In addition we introduce rewiring of the underlying network during the opinion formation process and discuss the resulting consequences in the phase diagram.