Persuasive patterns in Q&A social networks

Abstract

Social networks differ in their structure and objectives, hence, the effectiveness of persuasion principles or patterns may vary from one type of network to another. This study aims to identify the persuasive principles that make a typical Q&A network successful. Using Stack Overflow as a case study, we applied the PSD model to evaluate the persuasive principles of the network. Our results show that all but four principles of the PSD model were implemented in Stack Overflow. This study can help social network developers build persuasive Q&A social networks and improve on existing social platforms.