Polarized opinion states in static networks driven by limited information horizons

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Pérez-Martínez, Hugo, Mingueza, F. Bauzá, Soriano-Paños, David, Gómez-Gardeñes, Jesús, Floría, Luis Mario
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Pérez-Martínez, Hugo
Mingueza, F. Bauzá
Soriano-Paños, David
Gómez-Gardeñes, Jesús
Floría, Luis Mario
author_facet Pérez-Martínez, Hugo
Mingueza, F. Bauzá
Soriano-Paños, David
Gómez-Gardeñes, Jesús
Floría, Luis Mario
contents The widespread emergence of opinion polarization is often attributed to the rise of social media and the internet, which can promote selective exposure and the formation of echo chambers. However, experimental evidence shows that exposure to opposing views through cross-cutting ties is common in both online and offline social contexts, which frequently involve long-standing personal relationships. To account for these facts, we have developed an opinion model that applies to static contact structures, in which an agent's influence over their neighbors depends on their similarity in opinion. Our findings suggest that polarization can emerge in such static structures and, driven by an increased narrow-mindedness, even in presence of non-negligible cross-cutting ties. The polarized opinion distributions generated by our model closely resemble those obtained in surveys about highly polarized issues, allowing us to categorize various issues based on their controversial nature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2303_02113
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Polarized opinion states in static networks driven by limited information horizons
Pérez-Martínez, Hugo
Mingueza, F. Bauzá
Soriano-Paños, David
Gómez-Gardeñes, Jesús
Floría, Luis Mario
Physics and Society
The widespread emergence of opinion polarization is often attributed to the rise of social media and the internet, which can promote selective exposure and the formation of echo chambers. However, experimental evidence shows that exposure to opposing views through cross-cutting ties is common in both online and offline social contexts, which frequently involve long-standing personal relationships. To account for these facts, we have developed an opinion model that applies to static contact structures, in which an agent's influence over their neighbors depends on their similarity in opinion. Our findings suggest that polarization can emerge in such static structures and, driven by an increased narrow-mindedness, even in presence of non-negligible cross-cutting ties. The polarized opinion distributions generated by our model closely resemble those obtained in surveys about highly polarized issues, allowing us to categorize various issues based on their controversial nature.
title Polarized opinion states in static networks driven by limited information horizons
topic Physics and Society
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.02113