A systems dynamics simulation study of network public opinion evolution mechanism

Ge Gao, Tianyong Wang, Xianrong Zheng, Yong Chen, Xiaobo Xu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The factors that affect formation and dissemination of public opinion have been studied for a long time. However, the findings are disparate and fragmented, given the characteristics of netizens and new media in the Big Data era. To this end, this article introduces eight mechanisms working on formation and dissemination of public opinion on network. Based on system dynamics, this article further proposes a comprehensive causal relationship model to explore the factors affecting the consequence of public opinion on network. Particularly, the role of government is taken into consideration in this model. A simulation with Vensim PLE is conducted. The results of the simulation indicate that group polarization among netizens, opinion leaders, the quantity of media audience, the frequency of media report, government attention, and warning mechanism for public opinion crisis affect the consequence of public opinion on network significantly. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)189-207
Number of pages19
JournalJournal of Global Information Management
Volume27
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Network
  • Public Opinion
  • Simulation
  • System Dynamics

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