Mechanistic interplay between information spreading and opinion polarization

Abstract

We investigate how information-spreading mechanisms affect opinion dynamics and vice versa via an agent-based simulation on adaptive social networks. First, we characterize the impact of reposting on user behavior with limited memory, a feature that introduces novel system states. Then, we build an experiment mimicking information-limiting environments seen on social media platforms and study how the model parameters can determine the configuration of opinions. In this scenario, different posting behaviors may sustain polarization or reverse it. We further show the adaptability of the model by calibrating it to reproduce the statistical organization of information cascades as seen empirically in a microblogging social media platform. Our model combines mechanisms for platform content recommendation, connection rewiring, and limited-attention user behavior, paving the way for a robust understanding of echo chambers as a specialized phenomenon of opinion polarization.