Multi-topic belief formation through bifurcations over signed social networks

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Bizyaeva, Anastasia, Franci, Alessio, Leonard, Naomi Ehrich
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Bizyaeva, Anastasia
Franci, Alessio
Leonard, Naomi Ehrich
author_facet Bizyaeva, Anastasia
Franci, Alessio
Leonard, Naomi Ehrich
contents We propose and analyze a nonlinear dynamic model of continuous-time multi-dimensional belief formation over signed social networks. Our model accounts for the effects of a structured belief system, self-appraisal, internal biases, and various sources of cognitive dissonance posited by recent theories in social psychology. We prove that agents become opinionated as a consequence of a bifurcation. We analyze how the balance of social network effects in the model controls the nature of the bifurcation and, therefore, the belief-forming limit-set solutions. Our analysis provides constructive conditions on how multi-stable network belief equilibria and belief oscillations emerging at a belief-forming bifurcation depend on the communication network graph and belief system network graph. Our model and analysis provide new theoretical insights on the dynamics of social systems and a new principled framework for designing decentralized decision-making on engineered networks in the presence of structured relationships among alternatives.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2308_02755
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Multi-topic belief formation through bifurcations over signed social networks
Bizyaeva, Anastasia
Franci, Alessio
Leonard, Naomi Ehrich
Physics and Society
Multiagent Systems
Social and Information Networks
Dynamical Systems
Optimization and Control
We propose and analyze a nonlinear dynamic model of continuous-time multi-dimensional belief formation over signed social networks. Our model accounts for the effects of a structured belief system, self-appraisal, internal biases, and various sources of cognitive dissonance posited by recent theories in social psychology. We prove that agents become opinionated as a consequence of a bifurcation. We analyze how the balance of social network effects in the model controls the nature of the bifurcation and, therefore, the belief-forming limit-set solutions. Our analysis provides constructive conditions on how multi-stable network belief equilibria and belief oscillations emerging at a belief-forming bifurcation depend on the communication network graph and belief system network graph. Our model and analysis provide new theoretical insights on the dynamics of social systems and a new principled framework for designing decentralized decision-making on engineered networks in the presence of structured relationships among alternatives.
title Multi-topic belief formation through bifurcations over signed social networks
topic Physics and Society
Multiagent Systems
Social and Information Networks
Dynamical Systems
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.02755