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The Dark Side Of Gossips: Hints From A Simple Opinion Dynamics Model

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  • GUILLAUME DEFFUANT

    (Complex Systems Engineering Laboratory (LISC), National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA), 24 Avenue des Landais, BP 20085, F-63172 Aubière, France)

  • ILARIA BERTAZZI

    (Complex Systems Engineering Laboratory (LISC), National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA), 24 Avenue des Landais, BP 20085, F-63172 Aubière, France)

  • SYLVIE HUET

    (Complex Systems Engineering Laboratory (LISC), National Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA), 24 Avenue des Landais, BP 20085, F-63172 Aubière, France)

Abstract

We consider a simple model of agents modifying their opinion about themselves and about the others during random pair interactions. Two unexpected patterns emerge: (1) without gossips, starting from zero, agents’ opinions tend to grow and stabilize on average at a positive value; (2) when introducing gossips, this pattern is inverted; the opinions tend to decrease and stabilize on average at a negative value. We show that these patterns can be explained by the relative influence of a positive bias on self-opinions and of a negative bias on opinions about others. Without gossips, the positive bias on self-opinions dominates, leading to a positive average opinion. Gossips increase the negative bias about others, which can dominate the positive bias on self-opinions, leading to a negative average opinion.

Suggested Citation

  • Guillaume Deffuant & Ilaria Bertazzi & Sylvie Huet, 2018. "The Dark Side Of Gossips: Hints From A Simple Opinion Dynamics Model," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-20, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:wsi:acsxxx:v:21:y:2018:i:06n07:n:s0219525918500212
    DOI: 10.1142/S0219525918500212
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Deffuant, Guillaume & Roubin, Thibaut, 2023. "Emergence of group hierarchy," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 611(C).
    2. Deffuant, Guillaume & Roubin, Thibaut, 2022. "Do interactions among unequal agents undermine those of low status?," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 592(C).
    3. Sylvie Huet & Floriana Gargiulo & Felicia Pratto, 2020. "Can gender inequality be created without inter-group discrimination?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-25, August.
    4. Jan Lorenz & Martin Neumann, 2018. "Opinion Dynamics And Collective Decisions," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-9, September.

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