Interacting Agents and Continuous Opinions Dynamics

Gerard Weisbuch (1) , Guillaume Deffuant (2) , Frédéric Amblard (2, 3, 4) , Jean Pierre Nadal (1, 5)

1 LPS - Laboratoire de Physique Statistique de l'ENS
2 UR LISC - Laboratoire d'ingénierie pour les systèmes complexes
3 IRIT-SMAC - Systèmes Multi-Agents Coopératifs
4 IRIT - Institut de recherche en informatique de Toulouse
5 CAMS - Centre d'Analyse et de Mathématique sociales

We present a model of opinion dynamics in which agents adjust continuous opinions as a result of random binary encounters whenever their difference in opinion is below a given threshold. High thresholds yield convergence of opinions towards an average opinion, whereas low thresholds result in several opinion clusters. The model is further generalised to network interactions, threshold heterogeneity, adaptive thresholds and binary strings of opinions.

Domaines: Système multi-agents [cs.MA]

Gerard Weisbuch, Guillaume Deffuant, Frédéric Amblard, Jean Pierre Nadal. Interacting Agents and Continuous Opinions Dynamics. Springer, 521, pp.225-242, 2003, Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems book series (LNE), 978-3-540-44057-4. ⟨10.1007/978-3-642-55651-7_14⟩. ⟨hal-00011174⟩