Affinity, value homophily, and opinion dynamics: The coevolution between affinity and opinion

Abstract

We propose two analytical relationships between affinity and opinion change. The first one focuses on value homophily, while the second one incorporates affinity in opinion dynamics. Three analytical test models are derived based on these relationships: the value homophily model, the temporal evolution of opinion summation, and the evolution of opinion difference between two individuals. We test these models using data from a previous experiment, and the results demonstrate their validity.