Quantification of Social Media Influence on Behavior Using Psychophysiological Profiles

Abstract

The emergence of social media platforms at the start of this century has led to a transformation in how people consume and share information about the world around them. Since their inception it’s been made clear that this new medium offers opportunities for both promise and peril, a fact that highlights the importance of research into human interactions with and through these social media platforms. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the conditions under which exposure to emotionally charged or controversial social media content can affect users’ opinions. Multiple biological signals including EEG, pupillometry, and heart rate were measured concurrently with participant’s behavioral responses on the social media platform to derive objective measures of emotional valence and arousal. Here we present results of validation testing and preliminary findings from this multi-year project.