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view/download model file: OpinionFormationModelToy.nlogo

WHAT IS IT?

This is a toy model of opinion formation in a community. There are two choices, a structured network with 10 nodes and 2 communities, and a random network with 10 nodes and the same number of edges.


HOW IT WORKS

At each time step a node wakes up and decides to update its opinion. If most of its neighbors are blue, it will turn blue, if most of its neighbors are red, it will turn red. If its neighbors are split, it will flip a coin and decide in that way.


HOW TO USE IT

You have a switch to change the structure from community to random. You then click "setup" and "update opinion" repeatedly until the opinions have converged.


THINGS TO NOTICE

How easy is it for nodes to maintain dissenting opinions in the two different configurations?


CREDITS AND REFERENCES

Created by Lada Adamic 2008