2017/04/30 by Sven Banisch, S. Banisch, Eckehard Olbrich +1 · 1 citation
Computer Science · Decision Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Bounded function #Deliberation #Game Theory and Applications #Negative feedback #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence #Polarization (electrochemistry) #Positive feedback #Process (computing) #Social and Intergroup Psychology #Stability (learning theory) #cs.LG #cs.SI #nlin.AO #physics.soc-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/0022250x.2018.1517761
published as The Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 2018 · Presented at the Social Simulation Conference (Dublin 2017)
openalex created_date 2017/04/28 · openalex publication_date 2018/10/10 · arxiv created 2018/10/19 · arxiv updated 2018/10/22 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We explore a new mechanism to explain polarization phenomena in opinion dynamics in which agents evaluate alternative views on the basis of the social feedback obtained on expressing them. High support of the favored opinion in the social environment is treated as a positive feedback which reinforces the value associated to this opinion. In connected networks of sufficiently high modularity, different groups of agents can form strong convictions of competing opinions. Linking the social feedback process to standard equilibrium concepts we analytically characterize sufficient conditions for the stability of bi-polarization. While previous models have emphasized the polarization effects of deliberative argument-based communication, our model highlights an affective experience-based route to polarization, without assumptions about negative influence or bounded confidence.