Abstract
Cultural dynamics can be heavily influenced by extremists. To better understand this influence, temporal dynamics of an arbitrary cultural belief are simulated in a simple computational model. Extremist agents, holding an immutable and extreme belief, are used to examine the process of polarization – adoption of the extremist belief by the entire population. Two possible methods of counteracting polarization are examined, removal of the extremist agent and introducing a counter-extremist which holds an immutable belief at the opposite extreme. Eliminating the extremist agent is only effective at the onset of cultural transition, while introducing a counter-extremist is effective at any time and will lead to a dynamic intermediate belief. Finally, a parameter governing the society’s willingness to adopt new beliefs is varied. As it decreases, extremist agents are unable polarize a society. Instead the population breaks permanently into two or more belief groups. The study closes with a possible pathway for extremists to nevertheless polarize a society not open to new beliefs.
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Shutters, S.T. (2013). Cultural Polarization and the Role of Extremist Agents: A Simple Simulation Model. In: Greenberg, A.M., Kennedy, W.G., Bos, N.D. (eds) Social Computing, Behavioral-Cultural Modeling and Prediction. SBP 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7812. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37210-0_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37210-0_11
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