IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/phsmap/v660y2025ics0378437125000317.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Opinion dynamics in bounded confidence models with manipulative agents: Moving the Overton window

Author

Listed:
  • Bautista, A.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the opinion dynamics under the influence of manipulative agents. This type of agents is characterized by the fact that their opinions follow a trajectory that does not respond to the dynamics of the model, although it does influence the rest of the normal agents. Simulation has been implemented to study how one manipulative group modifies the natural dynamics of some opinion models of bounded confidence. It is studied what strategies based on the number of manipulative agents and their common opinion trajectory can be carried out by a manipulative group to influence normal agents and attract them to their opinions. In certain weighted models, some effects are observed in which normal agents move in the opposite direction to the manipulator group. Moreover, the conditions which ensure the influence of a manipulative group on a group of normal agents over time are also established for the Hegselmann–Krause model.

Suggested Citation

  • Bautista, A., 2025. "Opinion dynamics in bounded confidence models with manipulative agents: Moving the Overton window," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 660(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:660:y:2025:i:c:s0378437125000317
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2025.130379
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378437125000317
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only. Journal offers the option of making the article available online on Science direct for a fee of $3,000
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.physa.2025.130379?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rainer Hegselmann & Ulrich Krause, 2002. "Opinion Dynamics and Bounded Confidence Models, Analysis and Simulation," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 5(3), pages 1-2.
    2. Jan Lorenz, 2007. "Continuous Opinion Dynamics Under Bounded Confidence: A Survey," International Journal of Modern Physics C (IJMPC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 18(12), pages 1819-1838.
    3. Guillaume Deffuant & David Neau & Frederic Amblard & Gérard Weisbuch, 2000. "Mixing beliefs among interacting agents," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 3(01n04), pages 87-98.
    4. Yã‰Rali Gandica & Guillaume Deffuant, 2024. "Bounded Confidence Model On Growing Populations," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 27(07n08), pages 1-20, December.
    5. Wander Jager & Frédéric Amblard, 2005. "Uniformity, Bipolarization and Pluriformity Captured as Generic Stylized Behavior with an Agent-Based Simulation Model of Attitude Change," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 10(4), pages 295-303, January.
    6. Andreas Flache & Michael Mäs & Thomas Feliciani & Edmund Chattoe-Brown & Guillaume Deffuant & Sylvie Huet & Jan Lorenz, 2017. "Models of Social Influence: Towards the Next Frontiers," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 20(4), pages 1-2.
    7. Jan Lorenz & Martin Neumann, 2018. "Opinion Dynamics And Collective Decisions," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-9, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pedraza, Lucía & Pinasco, Juan Pablo & Semeshenko, Viktoriya & Balenzuela, Pablo, 2023. "Mesoscopic analytical approach in a three state opinion model with continuous internal variable," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    2. Guillaume Deffuant & Ilaria Bertazzi & Sylvie Huet, 2018. "The Dark Side Of Gossips: Hints From A Simple Opinion Dynamics Model," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-20, September.
    3. G Jordan Maclay & Moody Ahmad, 2021. "An agent based force vector model of social influence that predicts strong polarization in a connected world," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-42, November.
    4. Takesue, Hirofumi, 2023. "Relative opinion similarity leads to the emergence of large clusters in opinion formation models," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 622(C).
    5. Shane T. Mueller & Yin-Yin Sarah Tan, 2018. "Cognitive perspectives on opinion dynamics: the role of knowledge in consensus formation, opinion divergence, and group polarization," Journal of Computational Social Science, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 15-48, January.
    6. Weimer, Christopher W. & Miller, J.O. & Hill, Raymond R. & Hodson, Douglas D., 2022. "An opinion dynamics model of meta-contrast with continuous social influence forces," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 589(C).
    7. Teo Victor Silva & Sebastián Gonçalves & Bruno Requião Cunha, 2024. "Bounded confidence opinion dynamics with Asch-like social conformity in complex networks," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 97(9), pages 1-10, September.
    8. Francisco J. León-Medina & Jordi Tena-Sánchez & Francisco J. Miguel, 2020. "Fakers becoming believers: how opinion dynamics are shaped by preference falsification, impression management and coherence heuristics," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 385-412, April.
    9. Khalil, Nagi, 2021. "Approach to consensus in models of continuous-opinion dynamics: A study inspired by the physics of granular gases," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 572(C).
    10. Camelia Florela Voinea & Martin Neumann, 2020. "Political culture: a theory in search for methodology. An editorial," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 54(2), pages 335-360, April.
    11. Deffuant, Guillaume & Roubin, Thibaut, 2023. "Emergence of group hierarchy," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 611(C).
    12. Deffuant, Guillaume & Roubin, Thibaut, 2022. "Do interactions among unequal agents undermine those of low status?," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 592(C).
    13. Boschi, Gioia & Cammarota, Chiara & Kühn, Reimer, 2021. "Opinion dynamics with emergent collective memory: The impact of a long and heterogeneous news history," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 569(C).
    14. Ghezelbash, Ehsan & Yazdanpanah, Mohammad Javad & Asadpour, Masoud, 2019. "Polarization in cooperative networks through optimal placement of informed agents," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 536(C).
    15. Li, Mingwu & Dankowicz, Harry, 2019. "Impact of temporal network structures on the speed of consensus formation in opinion dynamics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 523(C), pages 1355-1370.
    16. Christian Ganser & Marc Keuschnigg, 2018. "Social Influence Strengthens Crowd Wisdom Under Voting," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-23, September.
    17. Huang, Changwei & Dai, Qionglin & Han, Wenchen & Feng, Yuee & Cheng, Hongyan & Li, Haihong, 2018. "Effects of heterogeneous convergence rate on consensus in opinion dynamics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 499(C), pages 428-435.
    18. Han, Wenchen & Feng, Yuee & Qian, Xiaolan & Yang, Qihui & Huang, Changwei, 2020. "Clusters and the entropy in opinion dynamics on complex networks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 559(C).
    19. Low, Nicholas Kah Yean & Melatos, Andrew, 2022. "Vacillating about media bias: Changing one’s mind intermittently within a network of political allies and opponents," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 604(C).
    20. Jan Lorenz & Martin Neumann, 2018. "Opinion Dynamics And Collective Decisions," Advances in Complex Systems (ACS), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(06n07), pages 1-9, September.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:660:y:2025:i:c:s0378437125000317. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/physica-a-statistical-mechpplications/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.