Persuasion process on social networks

Abstract

From the Rwandan genocide to the Arab Spring movement, it has been well known that social networks, offline or online, and mass media can collectively change and amplify public opinions, however there are few theoretical models to characterize the persuasion process. In this paper, we propose an opinion dynamics model based on invasion process with media effect and committed agents, and analytically obtain the fraction of each opinion at the steady state. We find that the relative proportion of committed agents plays a vital role in influencing corresponding opinion formation, and social networks can enhance the influence of committed agents through the interaction between individuals. Mass media can affect individuals not only directly due to exposure but indirectly due to social interactions. This paper reveals the influence of mass media and committed agents on the final distribution of opinions through a persuasion process, and lays the foundation for building more general models that consider individual heterogeneity and external influences.