An energy-based interaction model for population opinion dynamics with topic coupling

TL;DR

This paper presents a versatile energy-based model for opinion dynamics that incorporates topic coupling and various interaction protocols, unifying many existing models and revealing complex behaviors through analysis and simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a general variational framework for opinion dynamics with topic coupling, encompassing many prior models and enabling new insights into opinion evolution behaviors.

Findings

Emergence of interesting behaviors in simple potential cases

Model unifies existing opinion dynamics models

Preliminary numerical results suggest complex dynamics

Abstract

We introduce a new, and quite general variational model for opinion dynamics based on pairwise interaction potentials and a range of opinion evolution protocols ranging from random interactions to global synchronous flows in the opinion state space. The model supports the concept of topic "coupling", allowing opinions held by individuals to be changed via indirect interaction with others on different subjects. Interaction topology is governed by a graph that determines interactions. Our model, which is really a family of variational models, has, as special cases, many of the previously established models for the opinion dynamics. After introducing the model, we study the dynamics of the special case in which the potential is either a tent function or a constructed bell-like curve. We find that even in these relatively simple potential function examples there emerges interesting behavior. We also present results of preliminary numerical explorations of the behavior of the model to motivate questions that can be explored analytically.