Detail:The actions people take online impact the real world in measurable ways. Online interactions are characterized by wide and rapid contagion of ideas and information. We study how emotion influences the contagion of ideas and their influence in persuading people to take action. Current methods investigate only part of the contagion and influence framework; there is no work that incorporates sender, message, and receiver characteristics into a single model. We develop an integrated model of emotional contagion and influence in online communication that identifies 1) sender, 2) message content, and 3) receiver characteristics associated with rapid and broad emotional contagion and influence on digital media. To deliver a robust solution, our interdisciplinary team brings together expertise in computational modeling, emotion, communication, and social media research.

Publications from this project

C35, C41