The role of zealots in the spread of linguistic traits

Abstract

We investigate the diffusion of linguistic innovations on a fully connected network in order to understand the emergence of linguistic diversity. We employ an agent-based dynamics based on the Axelrod model, where interactions between agents are driven by homophily and social influence, with the difference that we assume that all agents share a number of common features that ensure a finite probability of pairwise interaction. We start from a homogeneous population and introduce zealots that act like agents spreading linguistic innovations, without being influenced by other agents. We analyze how different factors, such as the degree of cohesion and number of zealots in different linguistic states, determine the linguistic configurations that populations can adopt and contribute to the possible emergence of a multi-linguistic community. The results are compared with those derived within the mean-field approximation.

arXiv comment13 pages with 10 figures

References in corpus (22)

• Statistical physics of social dynamics
• Social consensus through the influence of committed minorities
• Sharp transition towards shared vocabularies in multi-agent systems
• Does a Single Zealot Affect an Infinite Group of Voters ?
• On the Role of Zealotry in the Voter Model
• The role of inflexible minorities in the breaking of democratic opinion dynamics
• Nonequilibrium phase transition in a model for social influence
• Rational Group Decision Making. A random field Ising model at T=0
• Ordering dynamics with two non-excluding options: Bilingualism in language competition
• How does public opinion become extreme?
• The building up of individual inflexibility in opinion dynamics
• Local Convergence and Global Diversity: From Interpersonal to Social Influence
• Evolution of opinions on social networks in the presence of competing committed groups
• Nonlinear $q$-voter model with inflexible zealots
• Divergent Time Scale in Axelrod Model Dynamics
• Modeling two-language competition dynamics
• Effects of noise and confidence thresholds in nominal and metric Axelrod dynamics of social influence
• Reconciling long-term cultural diversity and short-term collective social behavior
• Rise of an alternative majority against opinion leaders
• Impact of network randomness on multiple opinion dynamics
• Thermodynamic model of social influence on two-dimensional square lattice: Case for two features
• Weighted Axelrod model: different but similar