External fields, independence, and disorder in q-voter models

Area of Science:

• Social dynamics
• Statistical physics
• Agent-based modeling

Background:

• The q-voter model, a consensus-seeking social influence model, is prone to disorder due to independent agents.
• Parameter sensitivity in the q-voter model leads to significant outcome variations.
• Existing parametrizations allow convergence but are sensitive to minor changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the stabilizing effect of an external field on the q-voter model.
• To introduce 'skepticism' as a social phenomenon driven by external field interference.
• To understand how external fields influence consensus and disorder in social systems.

Main Methods:

• Modification of the q-voter model to incorporate an external field.
• Simulation of agent interactions under varying levels of independence and external field unreliability.
• Analysis of model convergence and emergent behavior.

Main Results:

• An external field can lead to less unstable outcomes in the q-voter model.
• Low agent independence combined with an external field promotes quicker convergence to an ordered state.
• Moderate perceived unreliability of the external field increases system disorder.

Conclusions:

• External fields, analogous to mass media, can significantly alter social dynamics within the q-voter model.
• The concept of skepticism, induced by external interference, offers a mechanism for understanding system stability and instability.
• The q-voter model with an external field provides a framework for studying the complex interplay between external influences and social consensus.