In traditional models of opinion dynamics, each agent in a network has an opinion and changes in opinions arise from pairwise (i.e., dyadic) interactions between agents. However, in many situations, groups of individuals possess a collective opinion that can differ from the opinions of its constituent individuals. In this paper, we study the effects of group opinions on opinion dynamics. We formulate a hypergraph model in which both individual agents and groups of 3 agents have opinions, and we examine how opinions evolve through both dyadic interactions and group memberships. In some parameter regimes, we find that the presence of group opinions can lead to oscillatory and excitable opinion dynamics. In the oscillatory regime, the mean opinion of the agents in a network has self-sustained oscillations. In the excitable regime, finite-size effects create large but short-lived opinion swings (as in social fads). We develop a mean-field approximation of our model and obtain good agreement with direct numerical simulations. We also show -- both numerically and via our mean-field description -- that oscillatory dynamics occur only when the number of dyadic and polyadic interactions per
Deterministic dynamics is a mathematical model used to describe the temporal evolution of a system, generally expressed as dx/dt = F(x), where x represents the system's state, and F(x) determines its dynamics. It is employed to understand long-term system behavior, including opinion formation and polarization in online communities. Opinion dynamics models, like the Katz model and the logistic map, help analyze how individual opinions are influenced within social networks and exhibit chaotic behavior. These models are crucial for studying opinion formation and collective behavior on social media, especially in conjunction with branching theory. For instance, Galam's Ising model applies principles from physics to social sciences, representing individual opinions as "spins" and illustrating how local interactions influence consensus formation. The Bounding Confidence model considers opinions within a confidence interval, showing how opinions converge or polarize. These models effectively analyze opinion dynamics in online communities, aiding in understanding trends and viral phenomena on social media. This research aims to analyze discourse flow and opinion evolution, predicting futur
Opinion summarisation is a task that aims to condense the information presented in the source documents while retaining the core message and opinions. A summary that only represents the majority opinions will leave the minority opinions unrepresented in the summary. In this paper, we use the stance towards a certain target as an opinion. We study bias in opinion summarisation from the perspective of opinion diversity, which measures whether the model generated summary can cover a diverse set of opinions. In addition, we examine opinion similarity, a measure of how closely related two opinions are in terms of their stance on a given topic, and its relationship with opinion diversity. Through the lens of stances towards a topic, we examine opinion diversity and similarity using three debatable topics under COVID-19. Experimental results on these topics revealed that a higher degree of similarity of opinions did not indicate good diversity or fairly cover the various opinions originally presented in the source documents. We found that BART and ChatGPT can better capture diverse opinions presented in the source documents.
Opinions are central to almost all human activities and are key influencers of our behaviors. In current times due to growth of social networking website and increase in number of e-commerce site huge amount of opinions are now available on web. Given a set of evaluative statements that contain opinions (or sentiments) about an Entity, opinion mining aims to extract attributes and components of the object that have been commented on in each statement and to determine whether the comments are positive, negative or neutral. While lot of research recently has been done in field of opinion mining and some of it dealing with ranking of entities based on review or opinion set, classifying opinions into finer granularity level and then ranking entities has never been done before. In this paper method for opinion mining from statements at a deeper level of granularity is proposed. This is done by using fuzzy logic reasoning, after which entities are ranked as per this information.
Many models of opinion dynamics include measures of distance between opinions. Such models are susceptible to boundary effects where the choice of the topology of the opinion space may influence the dynamics. In this paper we study an opinion dynamics model following the seminal model by Axelrod, with the goal of understanding the effect of a toroidal opinion space. To do this we systematically compare two versions of the model: one with toroidal opinion space and one with cubic opinion space. In their most basic form the two versions of our model result in similar dynamics (consensus is attained eventually). However, as we include bounded confidence and eventually per agent weighting of opinion elements the dynamics become quite contrasting. The toroidal opinion space consistently allows for a greater number of groups in steady state than the cubic opinion space model. Furthermore, the outcome of the dynamics in the toroidal opinion space model are more sensitive to the inclusion of extensions than in the cubic opinion space model.
Opinion Dynamics (OD) models are a particular case of Agent-Based Models in which the evolution of opinions within a population is studied. In most OD models, opinions evolve as a consequence of interactions between agents, and the opinion fusion rule defines how those opinions are updated. In consequence, despite being simplistic, OD models provide an explainable and interpretable mechanism for understanding the underlying dynamics of opinion evolution. Unfortunately, existing OD models mainly focus on explaining the evolution of (usually synthetic) opinions towards consensus, fragmentation, or polarization, but they usually fail to analyze scenarios of (real-world) highly oscillating opinions. This work overcomes this limitation by studying the ability of several OD models to reproduce highly oscillating dynamics. To this end, we formulate an optimization problem which is further solved using Evolutionary Algorithms, providing both quantitative results on the performance of the optimization and qualitative interpretations on the obtained results. Our experiments on a real-world opinion dataset about immigration from the monthly barometer of the Spanish Sociological Research Cente
This paper revises previous work and introduces changes in spatio-temporal scales. The paper presents a model that includes layers A and B with varying degrees of forgetting and dependence over time. We also model changes in dependence and forgetting in layers A, A', B, and B' under certain conditions. In addition, to discuss the formation of opinion clusters that have reinforcing or obstructive behaviors of forgetting and dependence and are conservative or brainwashing or detoxifying and less prone to filter bubbling, new clusters C and D that recommend, obstruct, block, or incite forgetting and dependence over time are Introduction. This introduction allows us to test hypotheses regarding the expansion of opinions in two dimensions over time and space, the state of development of opinion space, and the expansion of public opinion. Challenges in consensus building will be highlighted, emphasizing the dynamic nature of opinions and the need to consider factors such as dissent, distrust, and media influence. The paper proposes an extended framework that incorporates trust, distrust, and media influence into the consensus building model. We introduce network analysis using dimerizing
Recent research has developed the Ising model from physics, especially statistical mechanics, and it plays an important role in quantum computing, especially quantum annealing and quantum Monte Carlo methods. The model has also been used in opinion dynamics as a powerful tool for simulating social interactions and opinion formation processes. Individual opinions and preferences correspond to spin states, and social pressure and communication dynamics are modeled through interactions between spins. Quantum computing makes it possible to efficiently simulate these interactions and analyze more complex social networks.Recent research has incorporated concepts from quantum information theory such as Graph State, Stabilizer State, and Surface Code (or Toric Code) into models of opinion dynamics. The incorporation of these concepts allows for a more detailed analysis of the process of opinion formation and the dynamics of social networks. The concepts lie at the intersection of graph theory and quantum theory, and the use of Graph State in opinion dynamics can represent the interdependence of opinions and networks of influence among individuals. It helps to represent the local stability
This study introduces a new numerical model to simulate how information is comprehended and processed on social networks, using continuous "Phase Field Modeling" variables (phiA, phiB, phiC) to represent individual users' opinions. It captures the immediate and two-way nature of social media interactions, reproducing the spread and feedback of information. The model incorporates psychological and social factors like confirmation bias and opinion rigidity to analyze information processing and opinion development among users. It also explores the dynamics of opinion segregation and interaction in and out of filter bubbles, offering a quantitative view of opinion dynamics on platforms like social networking services (SNS). This approach combines theoretical models with real-world social network data to study the effects of information concentration on opinion formation and the phenome Phase Field Modeling of opinion polarization and echo chamber effects on SNS. This paper is partially an attempt to utilize "Generative AI" and was written with educational intent. There are currently no plans for it to become a peer-reviewed paper.
The field of opinion dynamics has its roots in early research that applied methods from magnetic physics to gain insights into the formation of social opinions. A central challenge in this field lies in modeling how diverse opinions coexist and exert influence on each other. In the realm of social issues, it's In this study, we leverage the dimer construct and the dimer model to establish a theoretical framework. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate how this proposed model can be applied to real-world scenarios of social opinion formation. The model involves the computation of the Castellain matrix (K), the distribution function (Z), and the probability of dimer configuration (P(D)) for convex regions with varying positions and distances. It explores how alterations in convex regions impact the probability of dimer configuration. Furthermore, our model takes into account two critical factors: "dependence" and "forgetting" in the process of opinion formation. It also delves into the concepts of "distance" and "location" of opinions. The results of numerical simulations shed light on how our model effectively captures the processes involved in real-world social opinion forma
The field of opinion dynamics has evolved steadily since the earliest studies applying magnetic physics methods to better understand social opinion formation. However, in the real world, complete agreement of opinions is rare, and biaxial consensus, especially on social issues, is rare. To address this challenge, Ishii and Kawabata (2018) proposed an extended version of the Bounded Confidence Model that introduces new parameters indicating dissent and distrust, as well as the influence of mass media. Their model aimed to capture more realistic social opinion dynamics by introducing coefficients representing the degree of trust and distrust, rather than assuming convergence of opinions. In this paper, we propose a new approach to opinion dynamics based on this Trust-Distrust Model (TDM), applying the dimer allocation and Ising model. Our goal is to explore how the interaction between trust and distrust affects social opinion formation. In particular, we analyze through mathematical models how various external stimuli, such as mass media, third-party opinions, and economic and political factors, affect people's opinions. Our approach is to mathematically represent the dynamics of tru
The proliferation of public networks has enabled instantaneous and interactive communication that transcends temporal and spatial constraints. The vast amount of textual data on the Web has facilitated the study of quantitative analysis of public opinion, which could not be visualized before. In this paper, we propose a new theory of opinion dynamics. This theory is designed to explain consensus building and opinion splitting in opinion exchanges on social media such as Twitter. With the spread of public networks, immediate and interactive communication that transcends temporal and spatial constraints has become possible, and research is underway to quantitatively analyze the distribution of public opinion, which has not been visualized until now, using vast amounts of text data. In this paper, we propose a model based on the Like Bounded Confidence Model, which represents opinions as continuous quantities. However, the Bounded Confidence mModel assumes that people with different opinions move without regard to their opinions, rather than ignoring them. Furthermore, our theory modeled the phenomenon in such a way that it can incorporate and represent the effects of external externa
This paper delves into the history and integration of quantum theory into areas such as opinion dynamics, decision theory, and game theory, offering a novel framework for social simulations. It introduces a quantum perspective for analyzing information transfer and decision-making complexity within social systems, employing a toric code-based method for error discrimination.Central to this research is the use of toric codes, originally for quantum error correction, to detect and correct errors in social simulations, representing uncertainty in opinion formation and decision-making processes. Operator and error syndrome measurement, vital in quantum computation, help identify and analyze errors and uncertainty in social simulations. The paper also discusses fault-tolerant computation employing transversal gates, which protect against errors during quantum computation. In social simulations, transversal gates model protection from external interference and misinformation, enhancing the fidelity of decision-making and strategy formation processes.
The study of Opinion Dynamics, which explores how individual opinions and beliefs evolve and how societal consensus is formed, has been examined across social science, physics, and mathematics. Historically based on statistical physics models like the Ising model, recent research integrates quantum information theory concepts, such as Graph States, Stabilizer States, and Toric Codes. These quantum approaches offer fresh perspectives for analyzing complex relationships and interactions in opinion formation, such as modeling local interactions, using topological features for error resistance, and applying quantum mechanics for deeper insights into opinion polarization and entanglement. However, these applications face challenges in complexity, interpretation, and empirical validation. Quantum concepts are abstract and not easily translated into social science contexts, and direct observation of social opinion processes differs significantly from quantum experiments, leading to a gap between theoretical models and real-world applicability. Despite its potential, the practical use of the Toric Code Hamiltonian in Opinion Dynamics requires further exploration and research.
In e-commerce, opinion tags refer to a ranked list of tags provided by the e-commerce platform that reflect characteristics of reviews of an item. To assist consumers to quickly grasp a large number of reviews about an item, opinion tags are increasingly being applied by e-commerce platforms. Current mechanisms for generating opinion tags rely on either manual labelling or heuristic methods, which is time-consuming and ineffective. In this paper, we propose the abstractive opinion tagging task, where systems have to automatically generate a ranked list of opinion tags that are based on, but need not occur in, a given set of user-generated reviews. The abstractive opinion tagging task comes with three main challenges: (1) the noisy nature of reviews; (2) the formal nature of opinion tags vs. the colloquial language usage in reviews; and (3) the need to distinguish between different items with very similar aspects. To address these challenges, we propose an abstractive opinion tagging framework, named AOT-Net, to generate a ranked list of opinion tags given a large number of reviews. First, a sentence-level salience estimation component estimates each review's salience score. Next, a
Opinion formation in the population has attracted extensive research interest. Various models have been introduced and studied, including the ones with individuals' free will allowing them to change their opinions. Such models, however, have not taken into account the fact that individuals with different opinions may have different levels of loyalty, and consequently, different probabilities of changing their opinions. In this work, we study on how the non-uniform distribution of the opinion changing probability may affect the final state of opinion distribution. By simulating a few different cases with different symmetric and asymmetric non-uniform patterns of opinion changing probabilities, we demonstrate the significant effects that the different loyalty levels of different opinions have on the final state of the opinion distribution.
We present a coupled mechanistic approach that elucidates the intricate interplay between stress and electrochemistry, enabling the prediction of the onset of instabilities in Li-metal anodes and the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in liquid-electrolyte Li-metal batteries. Our continuum theory considers a two-way coupling between stress and electrochemistry, includes Li and electron transport through SEI, incorporates effects of Li viscoplasticity, includes SEI and electrolyte interface surface energy and evaluates crucial roles of these mechanistic effects on the continuously evolving anode surface due to the viscoplastic deformation of lithium. In the model, spatial current density evolves with the stress-induced potential across the deformed anode/SEI interface. We assume SEI as a homogeneous, artificial layer on the Li-anode, which allows the investigation of the mechanical and electrochemical properties of the SEI systematically. Subsequently, we solve a set of coupled electrochemistry and displacement equations within the SEI and anode domains. The model is implemented numerically by writing a user element subroutine in Abaqus/Standard. We conduct numerical simulations und
News website comment sections are spaces where potentially conflicting opinions and beliefs are voiced. Addressing questions of how to study such cultural and societal conflicts through technological means, the present article critically examines possibilities and limitations of machine-guided exploration and potential facilitation of on-line opinion dynamics. These investigations are guided by a discussion of an experimental observatory for mining and analyzing opinions from climate change-related user comments on news articles from the TheGuardian.com. This observatory combines causal mapping methods with computational text analysis in order to mine beliefs and visualize opinion landscapes based on expressions of causation. By (1) introducing digital methods and open infrastructures for data exploration and analysis and (2) engaging in debates about the implications of such methods and infrastructures, notably in terms of the leap from opinion observation to debate facilitation, the article aims to make a practical and theoretical contribution to the study of opinion dynamics and conflict in new media environments.
The empirical validation of models remains one of the most important challenges in opinion dynamics. In this contribution, we report on recent developments on combining data from survey experiments with computational models of opinion formation. We extend previous work on the empirical assessment of an argument-based model for opinion dynamics in which biased processing is the principle mechanism. While previous work (Banisch & Shamon, in press) has focused on calibrating the micro mechanism with experimental data on argument-induced opinion change, this paper concentrates on the macro level using the empirical data gathered in the survey experiment. For this purpose, the argument model is extended by an external source of balanced information which allows to control for the impact of peer influence processes relative to other noisy processes. We show that surveyed opinion distributions are matched with a high level of accuracy in a specific region in the parameter space, indicating an equal impact of social influence and external noise. More importantly, the estimated strength of biased processing given the macro data is compatible with those values that achieve high likelihoo
In a social network, individuals express their opinions on several interdependent topics, and therefore the evolution of their opinions on these topics is also mutually dependent. In this work, we propose a differential game model for the multi-dimensional opinion formation of a social network whose population of agents interacts according to a communication graph. Each individual's opinion evolves according to an aggregation of disagreements between the agent's opinions and its graph neighbors on multiple interdependent topics exposed to an unknown extraneous disturbance. For a social network with strategist agents the opinions evolve over time with respect to the minimization of a quadratic cost function that solely represents each individual's motives against the disturbance. We find the unique Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution for the proposed differential game model of coupled multi-dimensional opinions under an open-loop information structure. Moreover, we propose a distributed implementation of the Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution. We examine the non-distributed and proposed distributed open-loop Nash/worst-case strategies on a small social network with strategist age