Diffusion in Information-Seeking Networks: Testing the Interaction of Network Hierarchy and Fluidity with Agent-Based Modeling

Abstract

People need information to cope with the demands of life, yet, questions remain about the way social structures facilitate the spread of new information. This study applies agent-based modeling (ABM) to information-seeking behavior. The primary focus is the role of network structure in shaping the spread of information. The present study confirms and extends existing diffusion research by showing that in-degree hierarchy influences multiple diffusion outcomes; hierarchy determines the likely targets of information requests, but its effects are contingent on structural fluidity, the extent that information-seekers may deviate from typical network behavior. Consistent with prior research, more rigid hierarchies increase the potential for rapid diffusion but dramatically increase the risk of diffusion failure. However, the effects of hierarchy that enable rapid diffusion do not require extreme rigidity, but rather are enhanced by a moderately fluid network in which information requests deviate to an extent from the structurally defined channels. This study also analyzes the effects of initial conditions, and the distribution of information itself within networks. Methodological, theoretical, and pragmatic implications are discussed.