Simulating Opinion Dynamics in Heterogeneous Communication

TL;DR

This paper uses multi-agent simulations to study how different sources of information and peer communication influence opinion formation and bias reduction.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation model incorporating multiple information sources and cognitive mechanisms to analyze opinion dynamics and bias mitigation.

Findings

Peer communication reduces biased perceptions.

Reliable sources help prevent information cheating.

Media influence can be mitigated through peer interactions.

Abstract

Since the information available is fundamental for our perceptions and opinions, we are interested in understanding the conditions allowing for a good information to be disseminated. This paper explores opinion dynamics by means of multi-agent based simulations when agents get informed by different sources of information. The scenario implemented includes three main streams of information acquisition, differing in both the contents and the perceived reliability of the messages spread. Agents' internal opinion is updated either by accessing one of the information sources, namely media and experts, or by exchanging information with one another. They are also endowed with cognitive mechanisms to accept, reject or partially consider the acquired information. We expect that peer-to--peer communication and reliable information sources are able both to reduce biased perceptions and to inhibit information cheating, possibly performed by the media as stated by the agenda-setting theory. In the paper, after having shortly presented both the hypotheses and the model, the simulation design will be specified and results will be discussed with respect to the hypotheses. Some considerations and ideas for future studies will conclude the paper.