Processes of individual attitude formation and their macroscopic consequences have become an intriguing research topic, and agent-based models of opinion formation have been proposed to understand this phenomenon. This study conducted an agent-based simulation and examined the role of mass media in a noisy opinion formation process, where opinion heterogeneity is preserved by a weak intensity of assimilation and errors accompanying opinion modifications. In a computational model, agents conformed to their neighbours' opinions in social networks. In addition, each agent tended to be influenced by one of a two external agents with fixed opinions, that is, mass media that take opposite positions on an opinion spectrum. The simulation results demonstrated that a small probability of interactions with mass media reduces opinion heterogeneity even with extreme mass media position values. However, a large frequency of interactions with mass media increases opinion heterogeneity. Accordingly, intermediate assimilation strength achieves the least heterogeneous opinion distribution. The influence of mass media dampens the effects of network topology. Our simulation implies that mass media can play qualitatively different roles depending on their positions and intensity of influence.

中文翻译：

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具有两种对立大众媒体的嘈杂舆论形成模型

个人态度形成的过程及其宏观后果已成为一个有趣的研究课题，人们提出了基于主体的意见形成模型来理解这一现象。本研究进行了基于代理的模拟，并检查了大众媒体在嘈杂的意见形成过程中的作用，其中意见异质性通过弱同化强度和伴随意见修改的错误得以保留。在计算模型中，代理人在社交网络中遵循邻居的意见。此外，每个代理人都倾向于受到具有固定意见的两个外部代理人之一的影响，即在意见范围内采取相反立场的大众媒体。模拟结果表明，即使在大众媒体位置值极高的情况下，与大众媒体互动的小概率也会降低意见异质性。然而，与大众媒体的大量互动增加了意见的异质性。因此，中等同化强度实现了最少异质意见分布。大众媒体的影响削弱了网络拓扑的影响。我们的模拟表明，大众媒体可以根据其位置和影响强度扮演不同性质的角色。大众媒体的影响削弱了网络拓扑的影响。我们的模拟表明，大众媒体可以根据其位置和影响强度扮演不同性质的角色。大众媒体的影响削弱了网络拓扑的影响。我们的模拟表明，大众媒体可以根据其位置和影响强度扮演不同性质的角色。