Agent-based model of opinion dynamics in societies with undecided agents and social influence

Abstract

We propose an agent-based model on opinion dynamics for systems with undecided agents and social influence. Here, we incorporate probabilistic opinion flipping of an agent and the effects of assimilation through peer pressure.  Consensus is reached asymptotically, which is similar to the analytical results of voter model with finite population. We also find that the presence of undecided agents affects the opinion dynamics of a system such that (1) it hastens the time for the system to reach a consensus and (2) it drives the time-evolution curves to asymmetry.