Impact of independence on polarization of opinions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how individual independence affects societal opinion polarization using a modified $q$-voter model, revealing that independence can both accelerate polarization and lead to disordered states.

Contribution

It introduces a modified $q$-voter model to study the influence of independence on opinion polarization dynamics, highlighting new transition phenomena.

Findings

Low independence speeds up consensus-polarization transition.

High independence causes a transition from polarization to disorder.

Independence has a two-fold impact on opinion dynamics.

Abstract

Polarization of societies is getting more and more attention from researchers working at the intersection of many fields, because it seems to be a defining feature of many public domains. In this paper, we are going to investigate how the unwillingness to yield to the group pressure, also known as independence, influences this phenomenon. In particular, we would like to answer the question whether independent choices of people could alter the dynamics of a system that otherwise would become polarized. A modified version of the $q$-voter model will be used for that purpose. From our findings it follows that the impact of independence is at least two-fold. At low independence levels the consensus-polarization transition between two antagonistic groups sets in quicker than in the absence of independence. Higher levels induce additional transition in the system, from a polarized state to a disordered one.