Regular Article

Multi-choice opinion dynamics model based on Latané theory

AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

^a e-mail: malarz@agh.edu.pl

Received: 5 September 2018
Received in final form: 16 July 2019
Published online: 2 October 2019

Abstract

In this paper Nowak–Szamrej–Latané model is reconsidered. This computerised model of opinion formation bases on Latané theory of social impact. We modify this model to allow for multi (more than two) opinions. With computer simulations we show that in the modified model the signatures of order/disorder phase transition are still observed. The transition may be observed in the average fraction of actors sharing the ith opinion, its variation and also average number of clusters of actors with the same opinion and the average size of the largest cluster of actors sharing the same opinion. Also an influence of model control parameters on simulation results is shortly reviewed. For a homogeneous society with identical actors’ supportiveness and persuasiveness the critical social temperature T_C decreases with an increase of the number of available opinions K from T_C = 6.1 (K = 2) via 4.7, 4.1 to T_C = 3.6 for K = 3, 4, 5, respectively. The social temperature plays a role of a standard Boltzmann distribution parameter containing social impact as the equivalent of energy or one may think about it just as on a noise parameter.