Abstract
In this paper we examine how opinions are formed when users are influenced by the opinions of others. Using a 5-year panel data set of online discussions on financial topics, we find the empirical evidence of the social influence of prior opinions on the formation and evolution of subsequent opinions. Specifically, WHO (the social role of the user) said WHAT (the quality of the information) and WHEN (the timing of comment being made) are found to have significant impact. One of the main contributions of this work is that our empirical approach can be used to calculate the "weights" of the influence network and predict the outcomes of social interactions.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 199-204 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| State | Published - 2012 |
| Event | 22nd Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems, WITS 2012 - Orlando, FL, United States Duration: Dec 15 2012 → Dec 16 2012 |
Conference
| Conference | 22nd Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems, WITS 2012 |
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| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Orlando, FL |
| Period | 12/15/12 → 12/16/12 |