Can a few fanatics influence the opinion of a large segment of a society? |
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Authors: | D Stauffer M Sahimi |
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Institution: | (1) Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1211, USA |
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Abstract: | Models that provide insight into how extreme positions regarding any social phenomenon may spread in a society or at the global
scale are of great current interest. A realistic model must account for the fact that globalization, internet, and other means
of mass communications have given rise to scale-free networks of interactions between people. We propose a novel model which
takes into account the nature of the interactions network, and provides some key insights into this phenomenon. These include,
(1) the existence of a
fundamental difference between a hierarchical network whereby people are influenced by those that are higher in the hierarchy
but not by those below them, and a symmetrical network where person-on-person influence works mutually, and (2) that a few
“fanatics” can influence a large fraction of the population either temporarily (in the hierarchical networks) or permanently
(in symmetrical networks). Even if the “fanatics” disappear, the population may still remain susceptible to the positions
originally advocated by them. The
model is, however, general and applicable to any phenomenon for which there is a degree of enthusiasm or susceptibility to
in the population. |
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Keywords: | 02 50 Ey Stochastic processes 05 40 -a Fluctuation phenomena random processes noise and Brownian motion 89 65 -s Social and economic systems 89 75 -k Complex systems |
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