Using Gossips to Spread Information: Theory and Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that community members can identify highly central individuals for information diffusion through gossip, and using these nominations as seeds significantly enhances information spread, as shown by theoretical, survey, and field experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a method for identifying influential individuals using gossip, validated through models, surveys, and a randomized field trial, improving diffusion strategies.

Findings

Gossip-based nominations accurately identify central individuals.

Using gossip-nominated seeds increases information spread by over 65%.

Community nominations outperform random or status-based seed selection.

Abstract

Is it possible to identify individuals who are highly central in a community without gathering any network information, simply by asking a few people? If we use people's nominees as seeds for a diffusion process, will it be successful? We explore these questions theoretically, via surveys, and via field experiments. We show via a model of information flow how members of a community can, just by tracking gossip about others, identify highly central individuals in their network. Asking villagers in rural Indian villages to name good seeds for diffusion, we find that they accurately nominate those who are central according to a measure tailored for diffusion - not just those with many friends or in powerful positions. Finally, we run a randomized field experiment in 213 other villages that tests how effective it is to use such nominations as seeds for a diffusion process. Relative to random seeds or those with high social status, hitting at least one seed nominated by villagers leads to more than a 65% increase in the spread of information.