Speaker:

William J. Brady, Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Title:

Algorithm-mediated social learning in online social networks

Abstract:

In this talk I introduce the concept of ‘algorithm-mediated social learning’ and propose a framework that examines its consequences in terms of functional misalignment. I review evidence that social learning biases function to promote adaptive behaviors that foster cooperation and collective problem-solving while content algorithms exploit human social learning biases (i.e., a bias toward PRestigious, Ingroup, Moral and Emotional information, or PRIME information) as a side effect of their goals to sustain attention and maximize engagement on platforms. Next I present recent empirical work demonstrating that when social learning biases are exploited by algorithms, PRIME information becomes amplified via human-algorithm interactions in the digital social environment in ways that can stimulate conflict and spread misinformation. I will end by discussing solutions for reducing functional misalignment via strategies where algorithms promote diverse and contextually-sensitive information environments.

Speaker Bio:

William Brady is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He is interested in the dynamics of emotion and morality in social networks and their consequences for group behavior. His recent work studies how human psychology interacts with technologically-mediated social contexts to shape our emotions, leveraging theory-driven application of multiple methodologies that include behavioral experiments, big data analytics, and natural language processing. Professor Brady completed a Ph.D. in social psychology at New York University and worked as a postdoc at Yale University.

Location:

In person: Chambers Hall, 600 Foster Street, Lower Level
Remote option: https://northwestern.zoom.us/j/98221131195
Passcode: NICO23

About the Speaker Series:

Wednesdays@NICO is a vibrant weekly seminar series focusing broadly on the topics of complex systems and data science. It brings together attendees ranging from graduate students to senior faculty who span all of the schools across Northwestern, from applied math to sociology to biology and every discipline in-between. Please visit: https://bit.ly/WedatNICO for information on future speakers.

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