Modeling belief systems with scale-free networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new model of belief systems as scale-free networks, capturing opinion dynamics and psychological phenomena, with potential implications for understanding reasoning and cognition.

Contribution

The work presents a novel network-based model of belief systems that reproduces known opinion dynamics and reveals scale-free properties, offering new insights into cognitive processes.

Findings

Belief systems can be modeled as scale-free networks.

The model reproduces opinion change mechanisms.

The belief network exhibits a scale-free degree distribution.

Abstract

Evolution of belief systems has always been in focus of cognitive research. In this paper we delineate a new model describing belief systems as a network of statements considered true. Testing the model a small number of parameters enabled us to reproduce a variety of well-known mechanisms ranging from opinion changes to development of psychological problems. The self-organizing opinion structure showed a scale-free degree distribution. The novelty of our work lies in applying a convenient set of definitions allowing us to depict opinion network dynamics in a highly favorable way, which resulted in a scale-free belief network. As an additional benefit, we listed several conjectural consequences in a number of areas related to thinking and reasoning.