Hiding opinions by minimizing disclosed information: an obfuscation-based opinion dynamics model

Tang, T.; Ghorbani, Amineh; Chorus, C.G.

doi:10.1080/0022250X.2021.1929968

Hiding opinions by minimizing disclosed information

Title

Hiding opinions by minimizing disclosed information: an obfuscation-based opinion dynamics model

Author

Tang, T. (TU Delft Transport and Logistics)
Ghorbani, Amineh (TU Delft Energy and Industry)
Chorus, C.G. (TU Delft Transport and Logistics)

Date

2021

Abstract

In the field of opinion dynamics, the hiding of opinions is routinely modeled as staying silent. However, staying silent is not always feasible. In situations where opinions are indirectly expressed by one’s observable actions, people may however try to hide their opinions via a more complex and intelligent strategy called obfuscation, which minimizes the information disclosed to others. This study proposes a formal opinion dynamics model to study the hitherto unexplored effect of obfuscation on public opinion formation based on the recently developed Action-Opinion Inference Model. For illustration purposes, we use our model to simulate two cases with different levels of complexity, highlighting that the effect of obfuscation largely depends on the subtle relations between actions and opinions.

Subject

agent-based modeling
Obfuscation
opinion dynamics
opinion-hiding
social simulation

To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:8129e531-a99d-47fd-ab2b-77d47ea34bf9

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/0022250X.2021.1929968

ISSN

0022-250X

Source

Journal of Mathematical Sociology, 46 (4), 315-341

Part of collection

Institutional Repository