We introduce a generalized version of the noisy q-voter model, one of the most popular opinion dynamics models, in which voters can be in one of $$s \ge 2$$ s ≥ 2 states. As in the original binary q-voter model, which corresponds to $$s=2$$ s = 2 , at each update randomly selected voter can conform to its q randomly chosen neighbors only if they are all in the same state. Additionally, a voter can act independently, taking a randomly chosen state, which introduces disorder to the system. We consider two types of disorder: (1) annealed, which means that each voter can act independently with probability p and with complementary probability $$1-p$$ 1 - p conform to others, and (2) quenched, which means that there is a fraction p of all voters, which are permanently independent and the rest of them are conformists. We analyze the model on the complete graph analytically and via Monte Carlo simulations. We show that for the number of states $$s>2$$ s > 2 the model displays discontinuous phase transitions for any $$q>1$$ q > 1 , on contrary to the model with binary opinions, in which discontinuous phase transitions are observed only for $$q>5$$ q > 5 . Moreover, unlike the case of $$s=2$$ s = 2 , for $$s>2$$ s > 2 discontinuous phase transitions survive under the quenched disorder, although they are less sharp than under the annealed one.

We study two variants of the modified Watts threshold model with a noise (with nonconformity, in the terminology of social psychology) on a complete graph. Within the first version, a noise is introduced via so-called independence, whereas in the second version anticonformity plays the role of a noise, which destroys the order. The modified Watts threshold model, studied here, is homogeneous and posses an up-down symmetry, which makes it similar to other binary opinion models with a single-flip dynamics, such as the majority-vote and the q-voter models. Because within the majority-vote model with independence only continuous phase transitions are observed, whereas within the q-voter model with independence also discontinuous phase transitions are possible, we ask the question about the factor, which could be responsible for discontinuity of the order parameter. We investigate the model via the mean-field approach, which gives the exact result in the case of a complete graph, as well as via Monte Carlo simulations. Additionally, we provide a heuristic reasoning, which explains observed phenomena. We show that indeed, if the threshold r = 0.5, which corresponds to the majority-vote model, an order-disorder transition is continuous. Moreover, results obtained for both versions of the model (one with independence and the second one with anticonformity) give the same results, only rescaled by the factor of 2. However, for r > 0.5 the jump of the order parameter and the hysteresis is observed for the model with independence, and both versions of the model give qualitatively different results.

Motivated by the empirical research on product ratings, we study a class of opinion formation models with competing global and local interactions. Models are investigated by means of the pair approximation and Monte Carlo simulations on Watts-Strogatz networks. We show that the agreement is the most difficult to achieve within the model with local conformity and global anticonformity. Moreover, the role of the network structure is the most significant in this case, and it becomes almost irrelevant in the opposite case, namely for the model with global conformity and local anticonformity.