Human beings are highly influenced by the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors of those around them. This social contagion phenomenon affects everything from simple decisions like where to shop to more complex choices such as vaccinating a child. Amin Rahimian, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, explains that people tend to be in networks that align with their own thinking. This social contagion of behavior plays a significant role in the adoption of new norms, products, and ideas.
Contrary to initial beliefs that highly clustered ties within networks were the most effective for spreading complex behaviors, research by Rahimian and a team from MIT and Harvard University suggests that long ties created through randomly rewired edges are more influential. These long ties, which extend beyond close connections to reach different demographics and populations, accelerate the spread of social contagions. Through mathematical and statistical analysis, the researchers showed how a small probability of adoption below the contagion threshold can lead to the swift spread of these behaviors.
The findings also have implications for the study of neural activity in the brain, with researchers interested in how network structures facilitate the spread of bursting activity across different regions. Jonathan Rubin, a professor in Pitt’s Department of Mathematics, highlights the relevance of these results in understanding the network dynamics of neural processes. This connection between social contagion in networks and neural activity provides a deeper understanding of how information and behaviors are transmitted and spread within and between different systems.
Dean Eckles, an associate professor of marketing at MIT, notes that those seeking fast and extensive spread of behaviors could benefit from identifying intervention points within network neighborhoods with long-tie connections to other regions. This strategy of seeding complex behaviors across these connections could lead to more effective adoption of new norms or ideas. Further research could explore the implementation of these strategies and their impact on influencing social contagion and behavior change within networks.
Overall, the research emphasizes the importance of network structures in facilitating the spread of behaviors and ideas. By understanding how social contagion operates within networks, researchers can develop strategies for accelerating the adoption of new norms and products. The impact of long ties in networks, particularly in the age of social media, highlights the potential for reaching diverse populations and demographics. This research provides valuable insights into the dynamics of social contagion and its applications in various fields, from public health to marketing.
