A Survey on Quantitative Modeling of Trust in Online Social Networks

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive review and categorization of quantitative trust models in online social networks, integrating theories from psychology with computational approaches to enhance trust assessment and detection of malicious activities.

Contribution

It offers a detailed taxonomy of trust models, combines psychological theories with algorithmic methods, and provides an implementation guide for future research.

Findings

Categorized trust models based on their algorithmic foundations.

Highlighted the integration of psychological factors into computational trust models.

Discussed unresolved challenges and future directions in trust modeling.

Abstract

Online social networks facilitate user engagement and information sharing but are also rife with misinformation and deception. Research on trust modeling in online social networks focuses on developing computational models or algorithms to measure trust relationships, assess the reliability of shared content, and detect spam or malicious activities. However, most existing review papers either briefly mention the concept of trust or focus on a single category of trust models. In this paper, we offer a comprehensive categorization and review of state-of-the-art trust models developed for online social networks. First, we explore theories and models related to trust in psychology and identify several factors that influence the formation and evolution of online trust. Next, state-of-the-art trust models are categorized based on their algorithmic foundations. For each category, the modeling mechanisms are investigated, and their unique contributions to quantitative trust modeling are highlighted. Subsequently, we provide an implementation-centric trust modeling handbook, which summarizes available datasets, trust-related features, promising modeling techniques, and feasible application scenarios. Finally, the findings of the literature review are summarized, and unresolved challenges are discussed.