Abstract

This project s goal was to uncover the mechanisms of information flow in social media and relate them to network structure. The findings challenged a widely-held view that information spreads like a pathogen and showed that the differences between the spread of disease and information stem from human cognitive limitations. While highly connected people amplify pathogenic contagion, in social contagion they are cognitively overloaded with messages their friends produce and are less likely to see and spread a particular message. Accounting for cognitive constraints significantly simplifies social contagion, and leads to new ways to measure influence in social networks.

Date

July 1, 2013

Authors

Kristina Lerman

Issue

AFRLOSRVATR20130217