Prospection and dispersal in metapopulations: a perspective from opinion dynamics models

TL;DR

This paper introduces a theoretical framework based on the Voter Model to analyze how dispersal and prospection influence decision-making and consensus in metapopulations, linking opinion dynamics to ecological dispersal processes.

Contribution

It adapts the Voter Model to include prospection mechanisms, providing analytical insights into collective decision dynamics in ecological contexts.

Findings

Model properties like consensus times are analytically mapped to classical Voter Model results.

The framework links opinion dynamics models to ecological dispersal and decision processes.

Potential for extending the model to more complex ecological and social scenarios.

Abstract

Dispersal is often used by living beings to gather information from conspecifics, integrating it with personal experience to guide decision-making. This mechanism has only recently been studied experimentally, facilitated by advancements in tracking animal groups over extended periods. Such studies enable the analysis of the adaptive dynamics underlying sequential decisions and collective choices. Here, we present a theoretical framework based on the Voter Model to investigate these processes. The model, originally designed to study opinion or behavioral consensus within groups through imitation, is adapted to include the prospection of others' decisions as a mechanism for updating personal criteria. We demonstrate that several properties of our model (such as average consensus times and polarization dynamic) can be analytically mapped onto those of the classical Voter Model under simplifying assumptions. Finally, we discuss the potential of this framework for studying more complex scenarios.