Changing Opinions in a Changing World: a New Perspective in Sociophysics

Abstract

We propose a new model of opinion formation, the Opinion Changing Rate (OCR) model. Instead of investigating the conditions that allow consensus in a world of agents with different opinions, we study under which conditions a group of agents with a different natural tendency (rate) to change opinion can find agreement. The OCR is a modified version of the Kuramoto model, one of the simplest models for synchronization in biological systems, here adapted to a social context. By means of several numerical simulations we illustrate the richness of the OCR model dynamics and its social implications.