Do interactions among unequal agents undermine those of low status?

Abstract

We consider a recent model in which agents hold opinions about each other and influence each other's opinions during random pair interactions. When the opinions are initially close, on the short term, all the opinions tend to increase over time. On the contrary, when the opinions are initially very unequal, the opinions about agents of high status increase, but the opinions about agents of low status tend to stagnate without gossip and to decrease with gossip. We derive a moment approximation of the average opinion changes that explains these observations.