Memory CODA: introducing memory effects in the Continuous Opinions and Discrete Actions model

Abstract: The Continuous Opinions and Discrete Actions (CODA) model has been widely used to study the emergence of extremism in social networks. However, this standard model has been shown to generate unrealistic extreme opinions due to the reinforcement among agents. To address this issue, this paper introduces memory effects into the CODA model to explore how the dynamics of opinion formation change. Specifically, each agent is endowed with a memory that stores the previous opinions of its neighbors, which are then utilized to update its own opinion. The paper investigates how incorporating memory affects the strength of choices. We will see that while diminishing the opinion strength, the formation of local domains still causes a significant reinforcement effect. However, unlike the original model, the number of neighbors becomes a relevant variable, suggesting a way to test the results presented in this paper. Keywords: Opinion dynamics, CODA, Agent-based models, Memory, extremism