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Opinion dynamics of social learning with a conflicting source

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  • Glass, Catherine A.
  • Glass, David H.

Abstract

The way in which agents are influenced by the truth and/or a conflicting source can have a significant effect on the extent to which social learning is successful. We investigate these influences via several variations of the Hegselmann–Krause model of opinion dynamics. First, we compare two ways of modelling the influence of truth in the absence of a conflicting source and find that in a model where access to the truth is more restricted, increasing the proportion of truth seekers in the society has little effect on convergence to the truth. Second, we investigate the same models of truth in the presence of a conflicting source, which could represent the opinions of a radical group, opinion leader or media source. The results show that a consensus on the truth can be reached in certain cases in both models, but also that in a wide range of cases both models give rise to the same partition of the society into truth seekers and non-truth seekers.

Suggested Citation

  • Glass, Catherine A. & Glass, David H., 2021. "Opinion dynamics of social learning with a conflicting source," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 563(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:563:y:2021:i:c:s0378437120307846
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2020.125480
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    Cited by:

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    2. Griffin, Christopher & Squicciarini, Anna & Jia, Feiran, 2022. "Consensus in complex networks with noisy agents and peer pressure," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 608(P1).
    3. Ding, Haixin & Xie, Li, 2024. "The applicability of positive information in negative opinion management: An attitude-laden communication perspective," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 645(C).

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