Consequence of reputation in the Sznajd consensus model

TL;DR

This paper investigates a modified Sznajd model incorporating reputation, which influences agents' persuasion ability, leading to more realistic dynamics and preserving phase transition behavior based on initial opinion distribution.

Contribution

It introduces a reputation mechanism into the Sznajd model, preventing dictatorship and analyzing its effects on consensus dynamics and phase transition properties.

Findings

Reputation limits agents' persuasion capacity.

Relaxation time distribution is log-normal-like.

Standard phase transition persists depending on initial opinion density.

Abstract

In this work we study a modified version of the Sznajd sociophysics model. In particular we introduce reputation, a mechanism that limits the capacity of persuasion of the agents. The reputation is introduced as a score which is time-dependent, and its introduction avoid dictatorship (all spins parallel) for a wide range of parameters. The relaxation time follows a log-normal-like distribution. In addition, we show that the usual phase transition also occurs, as in the standard model, and it depends on the initial concentration of individuals following an opinion, occurring at a initial density of up spins greater than $1/2$. The transition point is determined by means of a finite-size scaling analysis.