Heterogeneous Update Processes Shape Information Cascades in Social Networks
Fl\'avio L. Pinheiro, V\'itor V. Vasconcelos

TL;DR
This paper investigates how the coexistence and placement of different types of individuals with distinct update processes influence information cascades in social networks, revealing the importance of network structure and strategic positioning.
Contribution
It introduces a model with Simple Spreaders and Threshold-based Spreaders, analyzing their combined effects on information diffusion across various network topologies.
Findings
Simple Spreaders amplify cascades in degree heterogeneous networks.
Cascade effects depend on the proportion of Simple Spreaders and network structure.
Strategic placement of Spreaders can enhance or impair information spread.
Abstract
A common assumption in the literature on information diffusion is that populations are homogeneous regarding individuals' information acquisition and propagation process: Individuals update their informed and actively communicating state either through imitation (simple contagion) or peer influence (complex contagion). Here, we study the impact of the mixing and placement of individuals with different update processes on how information cascades in social networks. We consider Simple Spreaders, which take information from a random neighbor and communicate it, and Threshold-based Spreaders, which require a threshold number of active neighbors to change their state to active communication. Even though, in a population made exclusively of Simple Spreaders, information reaches all elements of any (connected) network, we show that, when Simple and Threshold-based Spreaders coexist and occupy…
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Taxonomy
TopicsComplex Network Analysis Techniques · Advanced Clustering Algorithms Research · Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
