Computational Models of Political Learning and Belief Polarization: From Individuals through Social Networks to Disruptive SystemsJang, Minsu (2024) Computational Models of Political Learning and Belief Polarization: From Individuals through Social Networks to Disruptive Systems. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished)
AbstractThis project examines the dynamic interplay of information dissemination, belief formation, and social interactions within the political communication landscape representing the new digital media environment, particularly focusing on social media. Employing agent-based modeling, this research explores how cognitive biases, social network structures, and the presence of misinformation influence political belief formation in digital environments. The study is structured into four essays: the first provides a theoretical agenda and methodological justification, while the subsequent three modeling essays build upon one another to enrich our understanding of political learning. The baseline model investigates how individual cognitive biases affect the assessment of information source credibility. The second model expands this model to incorporate the influences of social network structures, examining how interactions within these networks impact belief formation and consensus. The last essay explores the effects of disinformation, introduced by an adversarial jammer, on social learning and consensus building. Key findings reveal that while cognitive biases significantly shape information credibility assessments, the structure and interconnectivity of social networks play critical roles in mitigating misleading information and facilitating consensus. Furthermore, the simulation results indicate that networks characterized by diverse and robust social ties can effectively dilute the impacts of disinformation. This dissertation contributes to the fields of political communication and computational social science by demonstrating how agent-based simulations can provide nuanced insights into the complex interactions of individual behaviors and macro-level network effects. It also highlights practical implications for designing interventions to counter mis(dis)information and enhance the resilience of public discourse in the digital age. This research highlights the necessity of integrating both psychological and social dimensions to foster a well-informed public capable of navigating the modern political information ecosystem. Share
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