Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics Andrea Guazzini
Department of Education and Psychology, &
Centre for the Study of Complex Dynamics, University of Florence, Italy
Summary:
➢  - The Human Virtual Dynamics
➢  - The some interesting features of sociophysical approaches
➢  - A framework to investigate the small group virtual dynamics
➢  - A first validation of the Sociophysics Assumptions
➢  - The effect of first order perturbation of the task (i.e. A frustrated game)
➢  - The effect of polarizing topics
➢  - An empirical validation/fitting of the model’s parameters
➢  - The Repulsion effect as a crucial features for small group dynamics
➢  - Conclusions and Remarks
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
The Human Virtual Dymamics
The Human Virtual Dynamics (i.e. the human interactions mediated via ICT) have assumed a crucial role in modern societies, well beyond the expectations,
at least of politicians around the world.
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Psychology
Cognitive
Sciences
Sociophysics Econophysics Sociology
Social Psychology
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
ICT impact on the study of human social dynamics
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling
µ = Convergence parameter
Δxc = Opinion Threshold
= Affinity Threshold
*Bagnoli, F., Carletti, T., Fanelli, D., Guarino, A., Guazzini, A., Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling, Phys. Rev. E 76, 6, 066105.(2008).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling: The encounters recipe
*Bagnoli, F., Carletti, T., Fanelli, D., Guarino, A., Guazzini, A., Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling, Phys. Rev. E 76, 6, 066105.(2008).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling: Main Results
Social Temperature Effect
●
●
●
●
Main Insigths
Incorporating a self-consistent description of the
affinity.
Emergence of clusters of different size.
Evidence of a smooth phase transition.
Critical behaviour of system evolution.
*Bagnoli, F., Carletti, T., Fanelli, D., Guarino, A., Guazzini, A., Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling, Phys. Rev. E 76, 6, 066105.(2008).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
A web based environment to study the Virtual Human Dynamics
- To get a reproducible group interaction among subjects
- Use “ecological” experimental conditions
- Control the external and biasing factors
- Detect the communication dynamics
- Reveal the subjects’ cognitive network
- Optimal control of the information dynamics
- Effective measures of the group communication
- Comparisons of different task oriented conditions
- Different network topologies impact evaluation
- Detection of both individual and collective features
Guazzini, A., Lio’, P., Bagnoli, F., Passarella, A., and Conti, M., Cognitive network dynamics in chatlines, Procedia Computer Science 1, 1, P. 2349-56. ICCS,(2010).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
About the very basical assumption of sociophysics
the State of the node (e.g. Opinion, Behaviour) and the
state of its edges (e.g. Affinity, Strength of Relation),
depends to the interactions with the others (e.g.
frequently modeled as particles’ collision).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Affinity and Communication
- 100 unknown and unidentifiable interacting individuals
- 10 Experimental sessions of 10 randomized subjects
- 2 Task Modality (cognitive constraints)
- 10’ of standardized training with the tool and the task
- 5‘ for the sociodemographic data collection
- 45’ of free virtual interaction by text messages
Final affinity can be predicted on the basis of past interactions !
Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Lauro Grotto, R., Bagnoli, F., Virtual Small Group Dynamics: a quantitative experimental framework., J. of Review of Psy. Frontier (2012).
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Affinity and Communication: the case of a frustrated “minority” game
The subjects evolve and negotiate effectively an effective strategy to face with the (frustrated) task
All the participants are able to belong in the third vote to a cluster with an high probability of victory (e.g. size 2-3)
The voting strategy used by the subjects approximate always the best strategy
Final affinity appears as less predictable on the basis of past interactions !
Cini, A., Guazzini, A., Human virtual communities: affinity and communication dynamics., Advanced in complex science, Page: 1350034, (2013)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Affinity and Communication: the case of a polarizing topic
Final affinity appears as less predictable on the basis of the interactions !
Guazzini, A., Bagnoli, F. Carletti, T., Vilone, D., Lauro Grotto, R., Cognitive network structure: an experimental study., ACS, 15, 6, pp 12500. (2012)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Affinity and Opinion: a real experiment fitting the parameters of the model
Openness
Always equal to 1 (i.e. as predicted
by small group theory)
Opinion Space
0
Unfavourable
36
50
Current Opinion
Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Ramasco, J.J., The Stubborn effect, Advanced in complex science, (Submitted), (2014)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
100
Favourable
The stubbornness effect
Discriminant Function
Parameters
Activity CnegM II
Function
1.125
Centrality PRIRADAR
.881
Betweenness CposM III
.683
Betweenness PM III
-2.874
Observables
Betweenness PposM III
1.840
Initial Opinion
+13.34
Betweenness PneuM II
1.534
Final Opinion
+18.5
Betweenness PUBRADAR I
-0.517
Activity CnegM I, II, III
-696
Betweenness PUBRADAR III
0.433
Activity PUBRADAR I
-1.172
Activity PRIRADAR I
-1.320
The best discriminant function indicates the stubborn people with a
relative reliability of 88% and a canonical correlation of the model of 79%.
Mean differences
Betweenness CnegM I
Betweenness PUBRADAR I
Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Ramasco, J.J., The Stubborn effect, Advanced in complex science, (Submitted), (2014)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
-144
-21
Fitting experimental data
Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Ramasco, J.J., The Stubborn effect, Advanced in complex science, (Submitted), (2014)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Comparison of the Models’ reliability
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Conclusions and Remarks
➢  - We developed a framework to investigate the small group (virtual) dynamics
➢  - We got a first validation of some basic Sociophysical assumptions
➢  - The effect of polarizing topics appears to elicitate complex cognitive facing strategies
➢  - The parameters of the model have been partially validated using psychological constructs
➢  - A Stubborness effect emerges apparently just because the network topology
➢  - The Repulsion effect appears to be a potential crucial mechanism in small group dynamic
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
Brief Biblio
[1] Lorenz, J. Continuous opinion dynamics under bounded confidence: A survey, International Journal of modern physics C 11, 6, pp. 11571165, (2007).
[2] Bagnoli, F., Carletti, T., Fanelli, D., Guarino, A., Guazzini, A., Dynamical affinity in opinion dynamics modeling, Phys. Rev. E 76, 6, 066105.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevE.76.066105, (2008).
[3] Guazzini, A., Lio’, P., Bagnoli, F., Passarella, A., and Conti, M., Cognitive network dynamics in chatlines, Procedia Computer Science 1, 1,
Pages 2349-2356. ICCS 2010. DOI:10.1016/j.procs.2010.04.265, (2010).
[4] Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Lauro Grotto, R., Bagnoli, F., Virtual Small Group Dynamics: a quantitative experimental framework., Journal of
Review of Psychology Frontier 1, 2, (2012).
[5] Guazzini, A., Bagnoli, F. Carletti, T., Vilone, D., Lauro Grotto, R., Cognitive network structure: an experimental study., Advanced in
complex science 15, 6, pp 12500. DOI: 10.1142/S0219525912500841. (2012)
[6] Cini, A., Guazzini, A., Human virtual communities: affinity and communication dynamics., Advanced in complex science, Page: 1350034,
doi: 10.1142/S0219525913500343, (2013)
[7] Guazzini, A., Cini, A., Ramasco, J.J., The Stubborn effect, Advanced in complex science, (Submitted), (2014)
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics
... and many thanks for the attention!
… questions are welcome ...
Sociophysics of Virtual Dynamics