Follow Me Too: Determinants of Transitive Tie Formation on Twitter

Abstract

Transitivity, defined as the tendency for node A to be connected to node B given that A is connected to node X and X is connected to B, has been found to be a strong predictor of tie formation in various types of social networks. As transitive ties can influence information sharing, diffusion, and attitudes toward messages, understanding the motivations and mechanisms behind transitive tie formation in online social networks (OSNs) is important. Using a large longitudinal dataset from a popular OSN, Twitter, we examine the factors affecting transitivity. Results show that the strength of ties, activity like the number of tweets, and most importantly, the number of common connections are key factors affecting transitive tie formation. Theoretical implications regarding the evolution of network structure and polarization of views as well as practical suggestions for organizations aiming to accumulate followers for information sharing are discussed.