scholarly journals A Weighted Balance Model of Opinion Hyperpolarization

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Schweighofer ◽  
Frank Schweitzer ◽  
David Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Balance Theory ◽  
Opinion Formation ◽  
Dynamics Model ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Cognitive Balance ◽  
The Stability ◽  
First Time

Polarization is threatening the stability of democratic societies. Until now, polarization research has mainly focused on opinion extremeness, disregarding the correlation between different policy issues. We explain the emergence of hyperpolarization, i.e., the combination of extremeness and correlation between issues, by developing Weighted Balance Theory (WBT), a new theory of opinion formation. WBT extends Heider's cognitive balance theory to encompass multiple weighted attitudes. We validate WBT on empirical data from the 2016 National Election Survey. Furthermore, we develop an opinion dynamics model based on WBT, which, for the first time, is able to generate hyperpolarization and to explain the link between affective and opinion polarization. In addition, our theory encompasses other phenomena of opinion dynamics, including mono-polarization and backfire effects.

A Mathematical Foundation for Stochastic Opinion Dynamics

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-42
Author(s):  
Luis E. Castro ◽  
Nazrul I. Shaikh
Keyword(s):  
Probability Distribution ◽  
Stability Region ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Mathematical Foundation ◽  
Dynamics Model ◽  
Text Data ◽  
Online Systems ◽  
Point Object ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact

This article presents a stochastic opinion dynamics model where (a) the opinion of each agent in a network is modeled as a probability distribution as against a point object, (b) consensus is defined as the stability region of the ensuing set of stochastic difference equations, and (c) compromise solutions can be derived between agents who don't have a consensus. The model is well suited for tracking opinion dynamics over large online systems such as Twitter and Yelp where opinions need to be extracted from the user-generated text data. Theoretical conditions for the existence of consensus and the impact that stubborn agents have on opinion dynamics are also presented.

Introducing a more realistic model for opinion formation considering instability in social structure

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1650136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajjad Salehi ◽  
Fattaneh Taghiyareh
Keyword(s):  
Social Structure ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Realistic Model ◽  
Balance Theory ◽  
Opinion Formation ◽  
Signed Network ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Degree Of Instability ◽  
Structural Indicator

Opinion formation is a process through which interactions of individuals and dynamism of their opinions in effect of neighbors are modeled. In this paper, in an effort to model the opinion formation more realistically, we have introduced a model that considers the role of network structure in opinion dynamics. In this model, each individual changes his opinion in a way so as to decrease its difference with the opinion of trusted neighbors while he intensifies his dissention with the untrusted ones. Considering trust/distrust relations as a signed network, we have defined a structural indicator which shows the degree of instability in social structure and is calculated based on the structural balance theory. It is also applied as feedback to the opinion formation process affecting its dynamics. Our simulation results show formation of a set of clusters containing individuals holding opinions having similar values. Also, the opinion value of each individual is far from the ones of distrusted neighbors. Since this model considers distrust and instability of relations in society, it can offer a more realistic model of opinion formation.

Opinion Dynamics Optimization by Varying Susceptibility to Persuasion via Non-Convex Local Search

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
Rediet Abebe ◽  
T.-H. HUBERT Chan ◽  
Jon Kleinberg ◽  
Zhibin Liang ◽  
David Parkes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Search ◽  
Objective Function ◽  
Iterative Process ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Global Optimum ◽  
Local Optimum ◽  
Opinion Formation ◽  
Long Line

A long line of work in social psychology has studied variations in people’s susceptibility to persuasion—the extent to which they are willing to modify their opinions on a topic. This body of literature suggests an interesting perspective on theoretical models of opinion formation by interacting parties in a network: in addition to considering interventions that directly modify people’s intrinsic opinions, it is also natural to consider interventions that modify people’s susceptibility to persuasion. In this work, motivated by this fact, we propose an influence optimization problem. Specifically, we adopt a popular model for social opinion dynamics, where each agent has some fixed innate opinion, and a resistance that measures the importance it places on its innate opinion; agents influence one another’s opinions through an iterative process. Under certain conditions, this iterative process converges to some equilibrium opinion vector. For the unbudgeted variant of the problem, the goal is to modify the resistance of any number of agents (within some given range) such that the sum of the equilibrium opinions is minimized; for the budgeted variant, in addition the algorithm is given upfront a restriction on the number of agents whose resistance may be modified. We prove that the objective function is in general non-convex. Hence, formulating the problem as a convex program as in an early version of this work (Abebe et al., KDD’18) might have potential correctness issues. We instead analyze the structure of the objective function, and show that any local optimum is also a global optimum, which is somehow surprising as the objective function might not be convex. Furthermore, we combine the iterative process and the local search paradigm to design very efficient algorithms that can solve the unbudgeted variant of the problem optimally on large-scale graphs containing millions of nodes. Finally, we propose and evaluate experimentally a family of heuristics for the budgeted variant of the problem.

scholarly journals A Novel Approach to Fabricate Foam Ceramics from Steel Slag

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Yu Zheng ◽  
Xudong Luo ◽  
Jinlong Yang ◽  
Wenlong Huo ◽  
Chi Kang
Keyword(s):  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Steel Slag ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Solid Loading ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Ceramic Foams ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
The Stability ◽  
First Time

A novel approach is used for fabricating steel slag foam ceramics based on the particle-stabilized foaming method. In this work, steel slag was used as the raw material and propyl gallate (PG) was used as the surface modifier. For the first time, steel slag ceramic foams were successfully fabricated based on particle-stabilized foams. The results show that the stability of the ceramic foams was closely related to the pH value and PG concentration. The porosity and compressive strength could be controlled by changing the solid loading of steel slag and sintering temperature. The porosity of steel slag foam ceramics ranged from 85.6% to 62.53%, and the compressive strength was from 1.74 MPa to 10.42 MPa. The thermal conductivity of steel slag foam ceramics was only 0.067 W (m·K)−1, which shows that it could be used as a thermal insulation material.

scholarly journals Temporal Stability and Biodiversity of Two Complex Antilisterial Cheese-Ripening Microbial Consortia

2003 ◽  
Vol 69 (7) ◽  
pp. 4012-4018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel Maoz ◽  
Ralf Mayr ◽  
Siegfried Scherer
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Microbial Consortia ◽  
Cheese Ripening ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Individual ◽  
First Time

ABSTRACT The temporal stability and diversity of bacterial species composition as well as the antilisterial potential of two different, complex, and undefined microbial consortia from red-smear soft cheeses were investigated. Samples were collected twice, at 6-month intervals, from each of two food producers, and a total of 400 bacterial isolates were identified by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis. Coryneform bacteria represented the majority of the isolates, with certain species being predominant. In addition, Marinolactobacillus psychrotolerans, Halomonas venusta, Halomonas variabilis, Halomonas sp. (106 to 107 CFU per g of smear), and an unknown, gram-positive bacterium (107 to 108 CFU per g of smear) are described for the first time in such a consortium. The species composition of one consortium was quite stable over 6 months, but the other consortium revealed less diversity of coryneform species as well as less stability. While the first consortium had a stable, extraordinarily high antilisterial potential in situ, the antilisterial activity of the second consortium was lower and decreased with time. The cause for the antilisterial activity of the two consortia remained unknown but is not due to the secretion of soluble, inhibitory substances by the individual components of the consortium. Our data indicate that the stability over time and a potential antilisterial activity are individual characteristics of the ripening consortia which can be monitored and used for safe food production without artificial preservatives.

How to use typological databases in historical linguistic research

Diachronica ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Søren Wichmann ◽  
Arpiar Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Historical Linguistic ◽  
Native American ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Native American Languages ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Heuristic Procedures ◽  
The Stability

Several databases have been compiled with the aim of documenting the distribution of typological features across the world’s languages. This paper looks at ways of utilizing this type of data for making inferences concerning genealogical relationships by using phylogenetic algorithms originally developed for biologists. The focus is on methodology, including how to assess the stability of individual typological features and the suitability of different phylogenetic algorithms, as well as ways to enhance phylogenetic signals and heuristic procedures for identifying genealogical relationships. The various issues are illustrated by a small sample of empirical data from a set of Native American languages.

PHYSICS OF THE MIND: OPINION DYNAMICS AND DECISION MAKING PROCESSES BASED ON A BINARY NETWORK MODEL

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (25n26) ◽  
pp. 4482-4494 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. V. KUSMARTSEV ◽  
KARL E. KÜRTEN
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Chaotic Behavior ◽  
Opinion Dynamics ◽  
Human Mind ◽  
Critical Parameters ◽  
Opinion Formation ◽  
Natural Catastrophes ◽  
Risk Condition ◽  
Binary Network

We propose a new theory of the human mind. The formation of human mind is considered as a collective process of the mutual interaction of people via exchange of opinions and formation of collective decisions. We investigate the associated dynamical processes of the decision making when people are put in different conditions including risk situations in natural catastrophes when the decision must be made very fast or at national elections. We also investigate conditions at which the fast formation of opinion is arising as a result of open discussions or public vote. Under a risk condition the system is very close to chaos and therefore the opinion formation is related to the order disorder transition. We study dramatic changes which may happen with societies which in physical terms may be considered as phase transitions from ordered to chaotic behavior. Our results are applicable to changes which are arising in various social networks as well as in opinion formation arising as a result of open discussions. One focus of this study is the determination of critical parameters, which influence a formation of stable mind, public opinion and where the society is placed “at the edge of chaos”. We show that social networks have both, the necessary stability and the potential for evolutionary improvements or self-destruction. We also show that the time needed for a discussion to take a proper decision depends crucially on the nature of the interactions between the entities as well as on the topology of the social networks.

Numerical Investigation of the Influence of Friction Coefficient on Brake Groan

2010 ◽  
Vol 44-47 ◽  
pp. 1923-1927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xian Jie Meng
Keyword(s):  
Nonlinear Dynamics ◽  
Friction Coefficient ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Equilibrium Points ◽  
Static Friction ◽  
Kinetic Friction ◽  
Dynamics Model ◽  
Excited Vibration ◽  
Nonlinear Dynamics Model ◽  
The Stability

A two degrees of freedom nonlinear dynamics model of self-excited vibration induced by dry-friction of brake disk and pads is built firstly, the stability of vibration system at the equilibrium points is analyzed using the nonlinear dynamics theory. Finally the numerical method is taken to study the impacts of friction coefficient on brake groan. The calculation result shows that with the increase of kinetic friction coefficient /or the decrease of difference value between static friction coefficient and kinetic friction coefficient can prevent or restrain self-excited vibration from happening.

scholarly journals Crosstalk between β-catenin and WT1 signalling activity in acute myeloid leukemia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Payne ◽  
Olga Tsaponina ◽  
Gillian Caalim ◽  
Hayley Greenfield ◽  
Leanne Milton-Harris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protein Interactions ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Myeloid Cell ◽  
Wnt Signalling ◽  
Protein Protein Interactions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
First Time ◽  
Acute Myeloid

Wnt signalling is an evolutionary conserved signal transduction pathway heavily implicated in normal development and disease. The central mediator of this pathway, β-catenin, is frequently overexpressed, mislocalised and overactive in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) where it mediates the establishment, maintenance and drug resistance of leukaemia stem cells. Critical to the stability, localisation and activity of β-catenin are the protein-protein interactions it forms, yet these are poorly defined in AML. We recently performed the first β-catenin interactome study in blood cells of any kind and identified a plethora of novel interacting partners. This study shows for the first time that β-catenin interacts with Wilms tumour protein (WT1), a protein frequently overexpressed and mutated in AML, in both myeloid cell lines and also primary AML samples. We demonstrate crosstalk between the signalling activity of these two proteins in myeloid cells, and show that modulation of either protein can affect expression of the other. Finally, we demonstrate that WT1 mutations frequently observed in AML can increase stabilise β-catenin and augment Wnt signalling output. This study has uncovered new context-dependent molecular interactions for β-catenin which could inform future therapeutic strategies to target this dysregulated molecule in AML.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document