The dynamics of emotions in online interaction
Authored by Frank Schweitzer, David Garcia, Arvid Kappas, Dennis Kuester
Date Published: 2016
DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160059
Sponsors:
European Union
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Mathematical description
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
We study the changes in emotional states induced by reading and
participating in online discussions, empirically testing a computational
model of online emotional interaction. Using principles of dynamical
systems, we quantify changes in valence and arousal through subjective
reports, as recorded in three independent studies including 207
participants (110 female). In the context of online discussions, the
dynamics of valence and arousal is composed of two forces: an internal
relaxation towards baseline values independent of the emotional charge
of the discussion and a driving force of emotional states that depends
on the content of the discussion. The dynamics of valence show the
existence of positive and negative tendencies, while arousal increases
when reading emotional content regardless of its polarity. The tendency
of participants to take part in the discussion increases with positive
arousal. When participating in an online discussion, the content of
participants' expression depends on their valence, and their arousal
significantly decreases afterwards as a regulation mechanism. We
illustrate how these results allow the design of agent-based models to
reproduce and analyse emotions in online communities. Our work
empirically validates the microdynamics of a model of online collective
emotions, bridging online data analysis with research in the laboratory.
Tags
Model
Contagion
Construction
Social regulation
Negative affect
Single-item
Core affect
Excitation
Appraisal
Pleasure