Discrete-time signed bounded confidence model for opinion dynamics

Abstract

In this paper, the classic discrete-time bounded confidence (BC) model is modified by using the sign function such that signs of opinions never change during the opinion evolution. Considering the antagonistic and indifference behaviors between individuals, we propose two discrete-time signed BC models. Then, by comparing our proposed signed BC models with the classic BC model, we investigate dynamics characteristic of them in detail. We find that opinion evolution of our proposed signed BC models is more complicated than the classic BC model, but they retain clustering behavior of the classic BC model. Furthermore, several examples are given to test and verify the obtained results.