Phase transitions in social impact models of opinion formation

Janusz A. Hołyst, Krzysztof Kacperski and Frank Schweitzer

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 2000, vol. 285, issue 1, 199-210

Abstract: We study phase transitions in models of opinion formation which are based on the social impact theory. Two different models are discussed: (i) a cellular-automata-based model of a finite group with a strong leader where persons can change their opinions but not their spatial positions, and (ii) a model with persons treated as active Brownian particles interacting via a communication field. In the first model, two stable phases are possible: a cluster around the leader, and a state of social unification. The transition into the second state occurs for a large leader strength and/or for a high level of social noise. In the second model, we find three stable phases, which correspond either to a “paramagnetic” phase (for high noise and strong diffusion), a “ferromagnetic” phase (for small nose and weak diffusion), or a phase with spatially separated “domains” (for intermediate conditions).

Keywords: Social systems; Social impact model; Opinion formation; Phase transition; Critical phenomena; Mean field approximation; Collective phenomena; Brownian particles; Communication; Phase separation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2000
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (23)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:285:y:2000:i:1:p:199-210

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(00)00282-X

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