Opinion Formation Research Articles

ОСОБЕННОСТИ ПРОЦЕССА ПОЛИТИЧЕСКОЙ СОЦИАЛИЗАЦИИ МОЛОДЁЖИ В РОССИЙСКОМ ОБЩЕСТВЕ В УСЛОВИЯХ ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИИ

The purpose of the article is to analyze current areas of interaction between society and the state in solving problems of spiritual and moral education of the younger generation, to form the continuity of generations based on the assimilation and reproduction of traditional values basic to society which are a necessary condition for cultural and civilizational identity. The role of the state in solving these problems is to formulate a policy adequate to emerging challenges through the creation of an institutional environment that creates favorable, non-antagonistic, conflict-free conditions for society for the implementation of public initiatives and the development of a system of public relations in the global digital communication space. The specifics of interaction between the state and civil society structures in the system of public relations and political socialization of youth in the implementation of national policy aimed at ensuring national interests are outlined. In conclusion the authors sum up that in order to solve these problems it is necessary to develop a model of interaction that would unite the efforts of the state, society and individuals. The following are identified as elements of this model at the level of public authorities and civil servants: the need to develop and improve competencies based on the use of the capabilities of the digital communication environment; increasing the level of responsibility of employees in their interaction with citizens; guiding the performance of their official duties by the principles of patriotism and service to society; building open, trusting relationships in the implementation of joint projects aimed at solving socially significant problems; eliminating any possibility of incorrect relations with citizens and the public which can provoke a negative formation of public opinion and reduce the effectiveness of the system of public relations formed by the authorities.

Effects of heterogeneous opinion interactions in many-agent systems for epidemic dynamics

<abstract><p>In this work we define a kinetic model for understanding the impact of heterogeneous opinion formation dynamics on epidemics. The considered many-agent system is characterized by nonsymmetric interactions which define a coupled system of kinetic equations for the evolution of the opinion density in each compartment. In the quasi-invariant limit we may show positivity and uniqueness of the solution of the problem together with its convergence towards an equilibrium distribution exhibiting bimodal shape. The tendency of the system towards opinion clusters is further analyzed by means of numerical methods, which confirm the consistency of the kinetic model with its moment system whose evolution is approximated in several regimes of parameters.</p></abstract>

A Social Network Model for Analysis of Public Opinion Formation Process

A Social Network Model for Analysis of Public Opinion Formation Process

A game approach to multi-dimensional opinion dynamics in social networks with stubborn strategist agents

In a social network, individuals express their opinions on several interdependent topics, and therefore the evolution of their opinions on these topics is also mutually dependent. In this work, we propose a differential game model for the multi-dimensional opinion formation of a social network whose population of agents interacts according to a communication graph. Each individual’s opinion evolves according to an aggregation of disagreements between the agent’s opinions and its graph neighbors on multiple interdependent topics exposed to an unknown extraneous disturbance. For a social network with strategist agents, the opinions evolve over time with respect to the minimization of a quadratic cost function that solely represents each individual’s motives against the disturbance. We find the unique Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution for the proposed differential game model of coupled multi-dimensional opinions under an open-loop information structure. Moreover, we propose a distributed implementation of the Nash/worst-case equilibrium solution. We examine the non-distributed and proposed distributed open-loop Nash/worst-case strategies on a small social network with strategist agents in a two-dimensional opinion space. Then we compare the evolved opinions based on the Nash/worst-case strategy with the opinions corresponding to social optimality actions for non-strategist agents.

Self-Framing and Other-(Re)framing in Institutional Political Discourse: The Case of Donald Trump’s Final Speech Before the UN

The goal of this study is to provide a sociocognitive critical discourse analysis of Donald Trump’s 75th UNGA (The UN General Assembly) speech 2020 to demonstrate how Trump (re)framed America and other political actors. The study’s methodology has been divided into three stages: (a) identifying the speech’s macrostructures (major themes) embodying the speech’s global meanings, (b) analyzing the speech’s explicit and implicit local meanings, and (c) laying out Trump’s subjective context model. Findings revealed that (1) the semantic (cognitive) structure and textual arrangement of Trump’s speech are meant to draw attention to two ideologically opposed discourse worlds with skewed, hegemonic intergroup and outgroup representations; (2) a polarized context model, based on the WE/THEY schema, has motivated and controlled Trump’s speech for the purposes of persuading the audience, stigmatizing other social actors, and managing opinion formation; and (3) Trump’s context model has been shown to control the production of specific microstructures that correspond with a variety of discursive strategies.

Impact of Social Media on Political Opinion Formation in India: A Perspective on Farmers Protest 2020

Impact of Social Media on Political Opinion Formation in India: A Perspective on Farmers Protest 2020

Effects of heterogeneous opinion interactions in many-agent systems for epidemic dynamics

<abstract><p>In this work we define a kinetic model for understanding the impact of heterogeneous opinion formation dynamics on epidemics. The considered many-agent system is characterized by nonsymmetric interactions which define a coupled system of kinetic equations for the evolution of the opinion density in each compartment. In the quasi-invariant limit we may show positivity and uniqueness of the solution of the problem together with its convergence towards an equilibrium distribution exhibiting bimodal shape. The tendency of the system towards opinion clusters is further analyzed by means of numerical methods, which confirm the consistency of the kinetic model with its moment system whose evolution is approximated in several regimes of parameters.</p></abstract>

Social Opinion Formation and Decision Making Under Communication Trends

Social Opinion Formation and Decision Making Under Communication Trends

Efficacy of Social Media in Wars and Conflicts Brief Review of Russia-Ukraine War

Social media has evolved over time as a weapon, as more useful tool in modern wars, though the concept of informational warfare is as old as wars and conflicts. From the Chief Executive of the state to the battlefield commander, everybody is using social media tools to communicate, either with the outside world or their own people. If the Chief Executive is using it for strategic communication, Ministries involved in the war effort would be using it for narrative building, and the field commander may be using it to update his position to raise the morale of his soldiers. Social media has now been fully weaponized in the context of opinion formation through narrative building and at times deter the opponent through misinformation, disinformation, and fake communication. This article is aimed at exploring the efficacy and impact of social media on wars and conflict, particularly on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The paper concludes that an effective use of social media can have an overriding impact on the outcome of the battle in the changed paradigm.

Культурна співпраця України та Польщі наприкінці 20 – у перших десятиліттях 21 ст. в контексті євроінтеграції: аспекти української історіографії

The purpose of the article is a systematic analysis of the available works of Ukrainian scientists on the studied issues by thematic blocks for a more detailed coverage of individual aspects and regular processes of Ukrainian-Polish cultural cooperation. The research methodology is based on general scientific methods, such as systematization, generalization, analysis and synthesis, and special scientific methods, in particular, historical-genetic, historical-comparative, hermeneutic, as well as the principles of historicism, objectivity, and scientificity. The scientific novelty lies in highlighting the patterns of the formation of the national historiographical opinion on Ukrainian-Polish relations, taking into account the European integration processes in both states, which undoubtedly influenced the construction of interstate cultural relations. However, these aspects are not sufficiently represented in the writings of modern Ukrainian historians, which reveals the prerequisites for a more detailed study of the outlined issues. Conclusions. Modern European integration processes, conditions of rapid globalization and the common historical path of development of Ukraine and Poland contribute to increasing the relevance of the subject of Ukrainian-Polish cooperation among historical studies. The perspective of these studies directly affects the growth of scientific interest among Ukrainian historians in the analysis of certain aspects of the interaction between Ukraine and Poland at the current stage, which we can observe by analyzing the relevant array of works in historiography. The authors often lean towards a thematic approach and analysis of individual components of cultural interaction of both states, presenting concrete examples of manifestations and characteristic features of inter-ethnic dialogue. The available number of relevant works allows for comprehensive studies of the strategy and retrospective and dynamics of Ukrainian-Polish relations during the last decades. However, the lack of works that reveal mutual influences and interdependencies between European integration and the cultural dialogue of Ukraine and Poland represents a significant potential for scientific development in this field in the future.

Digital News Dynamics: Investigating the Impact on Public Opinion Formation in Pakistan

This study explores the complex relationship between digital news consumption and public opinion formation in Pakistan. Employing a quantitative approach, the research focused on adult digital news consumers across Pakistan, utilizing stratified sampling for a diverse demographic representation. The study formulated and tested several hypotheses related to the frequency of digital news consumption, source credibility, social media engagement, content diversity, and the mediating role of digital literacy. Findings from a structured questionnaire survey indicate that all these factors significantly influence the formation of public opinion. The study also highlights the pivotal role of digital literacy as a mediator in this process. These insights extend the application of theories such as agenda-setting and uses and gratifications in the context of digital media. The study contributes to the academic discourse on media influence in the digital era and offers practical implications for policymakers and media practitioners. It underscores the need for strategies promoting media literacy and responsible news consumption. The study acknowledges its limitations, including reliance on self-reported data and its focus on Pakistan, which may affect the generalizability of the findings. Future research avenues include comparative studies across countries and longitudinal analyses to understand evolving digital news consumption patterns.

Brand Activism and Democratic Legitimacy: Exploring Pitfalls through a Habermasian Analysis

Brand activism has emerged as a prominent practice among corporations, as they publicly take a stand on contentious socio-political issues such as gender inequality, climate change, or discrimination, often through advertising. While extensive research has been conducted on the impact of brand activism as a marketing tool, examining its effects on sales, brand image, consumer attitudes, and authenticity, only a limited number of studies have studied its influence on public debate and processes of democratic legitimation. The latter have portrayed brand activism as an empowering force for the supported social movements, the public sphere, and democratic legitimacy, largely ignoring the consideration of potential negative effects. To address this gap, Habermas's political theory and Nancy Fraser's ideas on the resignification of feminist discourse are applied to 'femvertising' (feminist advertising). Fraser's ideas show how feminist values within femvertsing and the cultural progress they spurred, have paradoxically come to legitimate an institutional order that runs counter to feminist visions of a just society. Since this institutional order is based on power structures in which corporations flourish, brand activism should be understood as a form of 'opinion management' in the Habermasian sense of the word. Applying Fraser's ideas moreover shows how brand activism complicates the problems associated with 'regular' public relations. By claiming to be activist, yet legitimating existing power structures, brand activism is not merely depoliticizing but also incapacitating resistance from within. These findings demonstrate how brand activism might be detrimental to public opinion formation and the democratic legitimacy of our institutional order, but also that Habermas might be overly optimistic in his confidence in civil society.

Bourdieu’nün “Habitus” Kavramıyla Twitter’daki Eğilimleri Pekiştirme Olgusunun Aşı Tartışmaları Üzerinden İncelenmesi

Pierre Bourdieu, toplumsal yaşamdaki olguları açıklamak için habitus, alan, sermaye gibi bazı kavramlara değinmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Bourdieu’nün toplumsal yaşam için kullandığı kavramların sosyal medya üzerindeki iz düşümleri, bireysel ve toplumsal kanaatlerin biçimlenmesinde belirleyici bir platform olduğu düşünülen Twitter özelinde incelenmiştir. Twitter’ın algoritmalar yardımıyla bireylerin eğilimlerini yönlendirme ve pekiştirme konusundaki yansıması, aşı tartışmaları üzerinden irdelenmiştir. Bu noktada başta, Bourdieu’nün kullandığı habitus kavramıyla, Twitter’daki algoritmalar ve filtre baloncuklarının insanlar üzerinde benzer tesirlere sebep olduğu çıkarımından faydalanılmıştır. Böylece olumlamacı perspektiften yapılan yorumlarda çok sesli olarak addedilen sosyal medyanın, bilfiil yaşamdaki fikirlerin şekillenme sürecindeki rolü sorgulanmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Twitter'ın iddia edildiği gibi çok sesliliği sağlayıp sağlamadığı veya algoritmaların ve doğrulama yanlılığının etkisiyle farklı görüşlerin duyulmasını engelleyip engellemediğini anlamaya çalışmaktır. Araştırmada, Twitter kullanıcılarının deneyimlerini ölçümlemek ve bireysel kanaatlerin oluşumundaki sosyo-kültürel durumu yakından analiz etmek için yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme tekniğinden faydalanılarak; betimsel bir analiz yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Sosyal medya platformlarının algoritmalar, filtre baloncuklarından oluşan doğası gereği, kullanıcıları çok seslilikten ziyade, kendi çevreleriyle kısıtlamaya sürüklediği ve bunun da bireylerin hâlihazırdaki fikirlerinin daha da pekişmesine ve çevrelerinin tekdüze kanaatlerle kuşatılmasına sebep olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.

СВІТОГЛЯДНО-МОВНА КОНЦЕПЦІЯ БОРИСА ГРІНЧЕНКА В ЕПІСТОЛЯРНІЙ СПАДЩИНІ (на матеріалі збірки «...Віддати зумієм себе Україні». Листування Трохима Зіньківського з Борисом Грінченком)

The peculiarity of the epistolary heritage is revealed in the variety of genre forms of the letter, in the depth of philosophical searches, in the inexhaustibility and sincerity of feelings, in linguistic stylistic experiments and careful attitude to epistolary canons.Letters, as is known, form the basis of epistolary texts. Among other types of texts, they are distinguished by a clear orientation to a specifi c type of addressee and provision of correspondence communication. The construction of such texts depends on many factors: the presence of a textual tradition, the situation of hypothetical per-ception of the text, the addressee, forms of implementation and distribution of the text, and other subjective conditions of epistolary communication.B. Grinchenko’s worldview and language concept is defi ned in a signifi cant creative heritage, which covers the following issues: the signifi cant role of language in the develop-ment of national culture and in the self-determination of the people; the formation of public opinion against the restrictions and prohibitions of the Ukrainian language by tsarism; devel-opment of theoretical foundations regarding the sources of enrichment and ways of develop-ment of the Ukrainian literary language; attitude to spelling practice; standardization of the Ukrainian literary language; creative communication with other writers.In the letters of B. Hrinchenko, structural and semantic features typical for Ukrainian epistolary are refl ected, which are creatively reworked in specifi c texts. Each letter can be considered as a separate completed act of communication.Ukraine became the key image-symbol in the correspondence between Borys Grinchenko and Trokhym Zinkivskyi. Ukraine, the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian writers are the key points in B. Grinchenko’s correspondence, as they coincide with the life position of the author of the letters. Borys Hrinchenko’s correspondence is a vivid example of how obsessed a person must be, who laid a brick in the foundations of the independent new state of Ukraine.

Brand as an Object of Person’s Promotion in the Modern World

The article examines the features of promoting a personal brand through social networks using the example of Elizabeth II (1926–2022). The authors describe the stages of forming a personal brand and their content. Social networks are currently one of the most popular and influential means of mass communication, and social media are considered as new channels of public opinion formation, as they change the information space and transform the nature of the communication process. The authors of the article state that brand management in social networks can be both positive, uniting society, and negative, giving rise to protests, falsification of the truth and much more.

Populism as a Threat to the Post-War Recovery of Ukraine

The article attempts to analyze the emergence and formation of populism in Ukraine. The role of political party leaders in the political transformation of Ukraine is studied, which allows us to understand social transformations caused by populism: populist parties are particularly prone to internal authoritarianism, often relying on a charismatic leader in the style of a strongman. It is noted that the political culture of the elite matters and shapes political institutions, and these political institutions influence both the process of societal consolidation and the type of political regime in general. It is emphasized that numerous elite groups are necessary for the functioning of democracy. The influence of the mass media on the results of the formation of public opinion and national voting is considered. The ability of populists to transition to personalistic authoritarian rule is emphasized, and this process is significantly accelerated during a long-term crisis, especially war. It is noted that one of the signs of growing authoritarianism is a decrease in the rights and influence of the regions and the regional political elite. The article concludes that after the victory, the ruling class and the political elite of Ukraine face two risks: the first is that it is quite possible to expect a further decrease in the level of trust of Ukrainians not only in the Verkhovna Rada, but also in the top political leadership of the country. And the second - there are likely to be splits within the ruling elite, which is usually one of the main factors in the collapse of a personalist or authoritarian regime. It is stated that after the war, opposition sentiments in Ukraine will increase significantly, and the opposition environment will be favorable for its representatives to try to compete for power. It is quite likely that after the end of the war, other elites and other leaders will enter the arena. Taking this into account, the authorities need to adjust to a difficult compromise with civil society, domestic business and foreign partners.

Long-Term Opinion Distributions of an Opinion Formation Model with Averaging Behavior


 
 
 Sociophysics utilizes mathematical tools from physics to study social phenomena. In particular, interactions between individuals can impact emerging trends in the opinions of a population as a whole. This research focuses on the long-term opinion distributions of a population of individuals who can influence one another through pairwise interactions, where one individual modifies their opinion to be more in line with their neighbor. Interactions are governed by a social network, where friends on the network interact while strangers do not. We introduce a new model for opinion formation with averaging behavior where the opinion of an individual at any time t is an integer between −k and k. For example, an opinion of k could indicate a heavily republican opinion and −k a heavily democratic opinion. As the process evolves in time, interactions between neighbors x and y in the social network result in person x updating her opinion to be one step closer to the opinion of person y. We first consider the scenario where everyone in the social network is friends with everyone else. For k = 1 we compute explicitly the long-term opinion distribution via differential equations. For values of k > 1, we solve for the long-term distribution numerically using Runge-Kutta. We then compute the long-term opinion distribution via simulation, in the more general social network scenario.
 
 

Social Perception and Attitude Towards International Sporting Events of Local Residents

Sporting events are central to the world of professional sports, making the acceptance and support of these events critical to their success. Our study aimed to analyse the relationship between opinion formation (support or opposition) and general attitudes toward sporting events in Hungary. And also to explore how attitudes towards sporting events differ from those who do not. To determine the connection and effects of the model, we use Covariance-based Structural Equation Modelling (CB-SEM), while in order to analyse the differences of supporter types we concluded a Cluster analysis. The latent variables of the developed SEM model had high internal consistency and good reliability, while the model had good psychometric properties. The results indicate that attitude has a significantly positive effect on perceived positive impacts of sports events (=0.93), explaining 87% of its variance, while it also has a significantly negative effect on perceptions of negative impacts of sporting events (>=-0.42). In addition, there is a strong direct effect between positive attitudes towards sports events and their positive perception. Through cluster analysis, we identified four significantly distinct groups: "Opponents" (13.5%), "Indifferent" (28.6%), "Rational Supporters" (29.4%), and "Enthusiastic Supporters" (28.6%). Most of the respondents agreed that international sporting events can enhance the image of the host city, promote economic development, and stimulate the local economy. However, perceived negative effects were driven by political reasons, such as government support for sports and lack of information. Therefore, our findings suggest that education and the provision of accurate information can help increase support for similar sporting events.

Bots as an online communication tool in the political process on the example of the EDC-2023 in Russia

The article presents a brief theoretical overview of the types of bots, the purposes of their use, identification methods, and also examines global political campaigns with the active use of automated systems. Using the example of the 2023 regional election campaign, an empirical study was conducted, the purpose of which is to identify the features of using bot systems in online communication of the authorities represented by candidates and society. The study was conducted on the basis of open data from the VKontakte social network - all publications were selected in which candidates for the election of heads of regions for the period from August 28 to September 10, 2023 were mentioned. A total of 21 regions and 116 candidates were analyzed. The largest number of bots is typical for Moscow, the Moscow Region, the Republic of Khakassia, and the Pskov region. The detection of bots was based on the method of static signs: the same / similar text of the post, the absence of user activity, the absence of real photos, the lack of a personal profile. The data obtained allowed us to formulate conclusions about the use of bots to create a positive and neutral agenda. At the same time, the publications created automatically had zero or low views, which indicates their invisibility to the final audience and inability to influence the formation of public opinion. However, data on the mention of candidates and the presence of their positive image in the social network can be used in the preparation of administrative or analytical reports.

As strong as the weakest node: The impact of misinformation in social networks

We study the impact of misinformation in a model of boundedly rational opinion formation in a social network. We capture misinformation via misspecified prior beliefs and consider networks that contain agents with differing social learning sophistication: identity social learners and quasi-Bayesian social learners. An attractive feature of the underlying heuristics is that in the baseline case absent misinformation both coincide with DeGroot updating, the arguably canonical boundedly rational heuristic. We find that the impact of misinformation depends upon the sophistication of the agents exposed to misinformation. If at least one misinformed agent engages in the simpler heuristic, identity social learning, then the long run opinions of all agents are extremely fragile to misinformation. Even if the perceived precision of the misinformation is infinitesimally small, the opinions of all agents in the network, identity and quasi-Bayesian social learners alike, converge to the misinformation state. Instead, if only the more sophisticated quasi-Bayesian social learners are exposed to misinformation, then the opinion process is robust to infinitessimal misinformation. Finally, we consider a general class of updating functions and show that there is a type of infinitessimal perturbation to the updating function of any agent such that the asymptotic consensus opinion is extremely fragile.