2005/11/08 by Juan Carlos González-Avella, J. C. González-Avella, M. G. Cosenza +1 · 4 citations
Chemistry · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Advertising #Boundary (topology) #Business #Chemistry #Complex Network Analysis Techniques #Condensed matter physics #Critical mass (sociodynamics) #Diversity (politics) #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Homogeneous #Intensity (physics) #Mass media #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Non-equilibrium thermodynamics #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Optics #Phase transition #Physics #Social science #Sociology #Statistical physics #Thermodynamics #Transition (genetics) #cond-mat.other #nlin.AO
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.72.065102
published as Phys. Rev E. 72, 065102 (2005) · 4 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2005/11/08 · openalex publication_date 2005/12/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We study the effect of mass media, modeled as an applied external field, on a social system based on Axelrod's model for the dissemination of culture. The numerical simulations show that the system undergoes a nonequilibrium phase transition between an ordered phase (homogeneous culture) specified by the mass media and a disordered (culturally fragmented) one. The critical boundary separating these phases is calculated on the parameter space of the system, given by the intensity of the mass media influence and the number of options per cultural attribute. Counterintuitively, mass media can induce cultural diversity when its intensity is above some threshold value. The nature of the phase transition changes from continuous to discontinuous at some critical value of the number of options.