2022/01/25 by Tomáš Fürst, Anna Minarovičová, Fürst, Tomáš +5
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph) #Social and Information Networks (cs.SI) #cs.SI #physics.soc-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2201.10254
7 pages, 4 figures, done with high school students
arxiv created 2022/01/25 · arxiv updated 2022/01/26
We present a toy model of opinion spreading in a society which combines a self-reinforcing mechanism with diffusion. The relative strength of these two mechanisms - called the affectability of the system - is a free parameter of the model. The model is run on a scale-free network and its asymptotic behaviour is investigated. A surprising emergent effect is observed: If every individual becomes more attentive to the opinions of others, the society as a whole switches from a plurality of nuanced opinions into the state of an absolute consensus on an extreme opinion. This counter-intuitive emergent behaviour may help to explain certain paradoxes in human history.