  Opinion Dynamics is an interdisciplinary area of research. Psychology and
Sociology have proposed models of how individuals form opinions and how social
interactions influence this process. Socio-Physicists have interpreted patterns
in opinion formation as arising from non-linearity in the underlying process,
shaping the models. Agent-based modeling has offered a platform to study the
Opinion Dynamics of large groups. This paper recasts recent models in opinion
formation into a proper dynamical system, injecting the idea of clock time into
evolving opinions. The time interval between successive receipts of new
information (frequency of information receipts) becomes a factor to study.
Social media has shrunk time intervals between information receipts, increasing
their frequency. The recast models show that shorter intervals and larger
networks increase an individual's propensity for polarization, defined as an
inability to hold a neutral opinion. A Polarization number based on
sociological parameters is proposed, with critical values beyond which
individuals are prone to polarization, depending on psychological parameters.
Reduced time intervals and larger interacting groups can push the Polarization
number to critical values, contributing to polarization. The Extent of
Polarization is defined as the width of the region around neutral within which
an individual cannot hold an opinion. Results are reported for model parameters
found in the literature. The findings offer an opportunity to adjust model
parameters to align with empirical evidence, aiding the study of Opinion
Dynamics in large social networks using Agent-Based Modeling.
