
doi: 10.2139/ssrn.994312
handle: 10419/74054
We study learning and influence in a setting where agents communicate according to an arbitrary social network and naively update their beliefs by repeatedly taking weighted averages of their neighbors' opinions. A focus is on conditions under which beliefs of all agents in large societies converge to the truth, despite their naive updating. We show that this happens if and only if the influence of the most influential agent in the society is vanishing as the society grows. Using simple examples, we identify two main obstructions which can prevent this. By ruling out these obstructions, we provide general structural conditions on the social network that are sufficient for convergence to truth. In addition, we show how social influence changes when some agents redistribute their trust, and we provide a complete characterization of the social networks for which there is a convergence of beliefs. Finally, we survey some recent structural results on the speed of convergence and relate these to issues of segregation, polarization and propaganda.
L14, ddc:330, Bounded Rationality, Soziales Netzwerk, Social Networks, Learning, Diffusion, Bounded Rationality, Diffusion, D83, Social Networks, Z13, Learning, Beschränkte Rationalität, D85, Lernprozess, Theorie, A14, jel: jel:Z13, jel: jel:D85, jel: jel:D83, jel: jel:A14, jel: jel:L14
L14, ddc:330, Bounded Rationality, Soziales Netzwerk, Social Networks, Learning, Diffusion, Bounded Rationality, Diffusion, D83, Social Networks, Z13, Learning, Beschränkte Rationalität, D85, Lernprozess, Theorie, A14, jel: jel:Z13, jel: jel:D85, jel: jel:D83, jel: jel:A14, jel: jel:L14
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 14 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
