Do interactions among unequal agents undermine those of low status?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how interactions among agents of unequal status influence opinion dynamics, revealing that low-status opinions tend to stagnate or decrease, especially with gossip, while high-status opinions increase.

Contribution

It introduces a moment approximation model that explains how opinion dynamics differ based on initial status and the presence of gossip.

Findings

High-status opinions tend to increase over time.

Low-status opinions stagnate or decrease, especially with gossip.

Gossip accelerates divergence in opinions based on status.

Abstract

We consider a recent model in which agents hold opinions about each other and influence each other's opinions during random pair interactions. When the opinions are initially close, on the short term, all the opinions tend to increase over time. On the contrary, when the opinions are initially very unequal, the opinions about agents of high status increase, but the opinions about agents of low status tend to stagnate without gossip and to decrease with gossip. We derive a moment approximation of the average opinion changes that explains these observations.