Social Psychology of Social Media

Social Psychology ofSocial MediaBrian Cugelman, PhDOnline strategy and research consultant@cugelman Ryerson University Toronto, Canada 25 Feb 2012

AGENDA1. Were Social Animals, However We Connect2. Digital Persuasion Equation3. Eight Spheres of Digital Influence4. Social Contexts, Offline & Online, Private & Public5. In-depth Look at Sphere Eight: Social Context6. Leveraging Social Context Factors for Social Design7. Crowdsourced Analysis 2

WERE SOCIAL ANIMALS, HOWEVERWE CONNECT 3

MASLOWS HIERARCHY OF NEEDS How many of these needs can we satisfy without others? 4

SHIFTING VIEWS ON THE INTERNET & SOCIALRELATIONSHIPSBefore 2006 Beyond 2006• Internet keeps people at • Pew Study, The Strength of home, away from friends and Internet Ties shows the net family enhances social relations• The Internet is destroying • Texting helps long-distance relationships couples stay connected (sexting too)• Using the Internet is anti- social • Mobile phones for teens are not phones anymore, theyre a social lifeline 5

A QUICK POLL• Have you ever donated to a cause, because the organization needed a bit more money to reach their funding goal?• Have you ever purchased a product because of top star ratings? How about one star?• Have you ever changed your views on an issue because of an online discussion? 6

ASCH SOCIAL CONFORMITY EXPERIMENT (1958)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYIh4MkcfJA 7

THE SPREAD OF OBESITY IN A LARGE SOCIALNETWORK OVER 32 YEARShttp://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa066082 8

DIGITAL PERSUASION EQUATION 9

DIGITAL PERSUASION EQUATION Click + + + Here =Motivation Ability & Persuasive Trigger Change Efficacy Experiences (8 spheres of digital influence) 10

CHANGE + + + Click Here = Motivation Ability & Persuasive Efficacy Trigger Change Experiences• Agreeing to something - Saying “yes”• Buying more widgets• Increasing support for a social cause• Losing trust in a politician• Deciding to quit smoking 11

HOW CHANGE Click + + + =HAPPENS Motivation Ability & Persuasive Here Trigger Change Efficacy Experiences Beliefs Attitudes Behaviours Not necessarily in this order. Behaviour can shape attitudes, and attitudes can shape beliefs. 12

MOTIVATION + + + Click Here = Motivation Ability & Persuasive Efficacy Trigger Change Experiences Value proposition (-) Demotivaror: Costs, disincentives, barriers, effort (+) Motivator: Goals, carrots, benefit, drivers Behaviour is more likely when motivators outweigh demotivators 13

ABILITY & Click + + + =EFFICACY Motivation Ability & Persuasive Here Trigger Change Efficacy Experiences Ability or self-efficacy dictate what you will and wont do Ability Self-efficacy What you can or What you believe cant do you can or cant do Skill Confidence Learned helplessness 14

TRIGGER Click + + + =(COVERT) Motivation Ability & Persuasive Here Trigger Change Efficacy Experiences Triggering chickens Triggering humans with recordings of with recordings of chicks chirping people laughing (canned laughter) Chicken acts friendly People laugh longer and towards a threat harder, even at bad jokes Trigger. Reaction. 15

TRIGGER Click + + + = (OVERT) Motivation Ability & Persuasive Here Trigger Change Efficacy Experiences Call to action (CTA)Act now while Promptquantities last. Request Offer Proposal Download your Sales pitch free report You were poked by Bob. Click Here Poke Bob back!"Wow! That shirt makes you look20 years younger. Would you like to pay by cash or credit?" Click on this link now!

EIGHT SPHERES OF DIGITALINFLUENCE 17

PERSUASIVE + + + Click Here =COMMUNICATION Motivation Ability & Efficacy Persuasive Experiences Trigger ChangeMODEL This system can integrate hundreds of influence components, but well just focus on the eight spheres. Cugelman, B., Thelwall, M., & Dawes, P. (2009). Communication-Based Influence Components Model. Paper presented at the Persuasive 2009, Claremont.

1. SOURCEWhat it is: Key principles:•The person, organization, •Appealing to sourceor group behind a website, credibility boostssocial media profile, ad, or persuasivenessmessage •Build on the three components of credibility: 1. Expertise 2. Trustworthiness 3. Visual appeal 19

WHICH PHOTO CAN INCREASE TEXT CREDIBILITY? No photoNGUYEN, H. & MASTHOFF, J. (2007) Is it me or what I say? Source image and persuasion. Persuasive 07. Springer.

CREDIBILITY AND IMAGERY Photo Goodwill Trust High credibility Higher Higher No photo Middle Middle Low credibility Lower Lower Readers perceptions of text credibility is influenced by photo credibility Dont underestimate the contribution of visuals towards perceived credibility 21

Featured by X, Y, Z.Low credibility websites can borrow credibility from higher credibility sources. 22

2. MESSAGE ENCODING ANDDECODINGWhat it is: Key principles:•How you express an idea •How you expressand how the person something can strengtheninterprets it or weaken what you say•Expression can be spoken, •Encode messages so thewritten, symbolic audience can rapidly understand them 23

Place the CTA where most eyes land

3. MEDIA CHANNELWhat it is: Key principles:•The various media used to •Select the media channelsexpress something most suited to your target audience•Eg. Written words, spokendialogue, photos, video, •Make it easy for theminteractive websites, email engage with the media 26

4. AUDIENCEWhat it is: Key principles:•The person or organization •Understand youryou are trying to engage audiences motivations andand influence psychological hot buttons•It comprises their •Frame interaction arounddemographics, traits, and motivations and leveragepsychology hot buttons 28

HOW THE PSYCHOLOGY OF 30 HEALTH CHANGING WEBSITES INFLUENCES USERS BEHAVIOURd CUGELMAN, B., THELWALL, M., & DAWES, P. (2011) Online interventions for social marketing health behavior change campaigns: A meta-analysis of psychological architectures and adherence factors. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 13(1), e17. http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e17/ 29

5. FEEDBACK ENCODING ANDDECODINGWhat it is: Key principles:•How the audience •Automate data collectionexpresses and transmits whenever possibletheir feedback to you, andhow you interpret it •Incentivize requests for user information•Some of this is contributedvoluntarily, but most is •Just get what you needencoded automatically initially, then incentive data collection over time 30

6. FEEDBACK MESSAGEWhat it is: Key principles:•The information an •Leverage user data toaudience shares with the tailor personalized andsource that is used to tailor relevant messagesmessages•In other words, any data •Mine trends amongcollected about a user that populations to buildis processed and acted processes that helpupon individuals•This is the foundation forrelationship building 33

7. INTERVENTION MESSAGEWhat it is: Key principles:•What you express or do •Build your messages around your audiences•In other words, the motivation, make it easy,tangible communication or and leverage persuasionaction you express to anaudience •Research will help you identify the influence components that matter 36

8. SOCIAL CONTEXTWhat it is: Key principles:•The social environment in •Demonstrate groupwhich a relationship occurs behaviour to leverage social norms and pressures•This includes society,whether virtual or "real" •Play on our competitive nature and scarcity The rest of this presentation will only look at this sphere. 37

SOCIAL CONTEXTS, OFFLINE &ONLINE, PRIVATE & PUBLIC 38

SOCIAL CONTEXTS Offline Online Classroom E-learning platform Shouting out to people on the street Twitter Sharing thoughts with friends during Sharing thoughts Facebook a night out Academic conference networking Email discussion group 39

PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACES Private Controlled Public Access Twitter Facebook SMS (txting) Lined in Discussion group Email 40

PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC CONCERNS With a group of In a large complex Living alone on a close & trusted social environment desert island friends (school or work)Care about your Probably not Possibly Probably looks?Worry about your Probably not Possibly Probably social status?Care what others Possibly Possibly Probably think?Willingness to say whatever you Probably Probably not think? 41

SURVEILLANCE:MAKING PRIVATE MOMENTS PUBLIC Research bias Crime prevention Socially desirable Deterrence answers Surfing the net Employability at work Never posting Cautious about anything that could Cameras | Internet usage the sites we visit tracking | Friends posting & harm our reputation tagging your photo on Facebook. 70% of employers have rejected Surveillance moves us from a applicants due to online information. private to a public social context. 42

IN-DEPTH LOOK AT SPHERE EIGHT:SOCIAL CONTEXT 43

CHANGE AGENTS: INTERPERSONAL & SOCIAL INFLUENCE Interpersonal influence Social proofThe persuasive experience resulting from The principle that we determine whats one-on-one interaction. correct by following what other people show to be correct. 44

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN PERSUADED OF SOMETHINGBECAUSE OF SOCIAL PROOF? 45

SOCIAL PROOF EXAMPLES• A 10 out of 10 star produce is rated 500 times. No doubt, it must be amazing.• A nightclub forces people to line-up outside for hours. If theyre enduring that to get in, it must be great.• The "most popular" download software must be the "best". 46

SOCIAL PROOF AND DONATIONS Opaque: people Empty: people Primed: Starter cant see the dont see the social tips show people social norm norm in action what to do Donations Donations Donations www.socialmediacafe.ca www.socialmediacafe.ca www.socialmediacafe.ca $1.50 $50 + 47

MODELLING BEHAVIOUR 48

DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS: HOW THINGS SPREAD Opinion Leaders ROGERS, E. (2003) Diffusion of innovations. (5 ed.). New York: Free Press. 50

ONE-WAY COMMUNICATION 1 2 3 Media Channel 4 5Older, eroded model 51

TWO-STEP COMMUNICATION FLOW 1 2 3 Media Channel 4 5 Opinion LeaderKats and Lazerfeld (1955) 52

MULTI-STEP COMMUNICATION FLOW 1 2 3 Media Channel Supporter 4 + Opinion Opponent Leader - 5 Opinion LeaderSlightly updated model Opinion Leaders

VIRALDIFFUSION

SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS AND INFLUENCE Common influence metrics •Degree Centrality •Closeness •Betweenness •Coreness 55

TOP WEBSITES ARE SOCIAL OR USE SOCIALALGORITHMS1. Google (Search)2. Facebook (Social media)3. YouTube (Social media)4. Yahoo! (Search) •5 Search5. Windows Live (Search)6. Baidu.com (Search) •5 Social media7. Wikipedia (Social media)8. Blogger.com (Social media)9. Twitter (Social media)10. QQ.COM (Search) Based on Alexa ranking retrieved 12 Oct 2010 56

THESAME RECOMMENDATION CAN SPREAD ASTRUSTED ADVICE OR SPAM Trusted Dishonest recommendation marketing spam I dont like spam! or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE 57

CREDIBILITY ASSESSMENT AND ACTIVE TRUST Credibility How recommendations perception are regarded 1. Advice from a trusted expert High Valuable advice 2. Advice from a Promising, but trusted person, but Medium not fully not an expert trustworthy 3. Advice from an unknown source Low Marketing spam A study on how source credibility and trust relate to user behaviour: Cugelman, B., Thelwall, M. & Dawes, P. (2009) The dimensions of website credibility and their relation to active trust and behavioural impact. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. http://wlv.openrepository.com/wlv/bitstream/2436/85974/4/Cugelman_2009_website_credibility.pdf 58

SPAMMING REDUCES DIFFUSION Dishonest spamming techniques undermine viral diffusion Differential Adaptive Diffusion: Understanding Diversity and Learning Whom to Trust in Viral Marketing 59

http://db.tt/kbT8BYY 61

SCARCITY People assign more value to things that are less available. “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept people like me as a member.” Groucho Marx 62

LEVERAGING SOCIAL CONTEXTFACTORS FOR SOCIAL DESIGN 63

FROM SUPPER TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE Burger and fries Chicken Burger Chicken Salad Bun   Beef patty Chicken breast   Fries   Salad  64

FROM SUPPER TO SOCIAL INFLUENCE Beliefs Attitudes Behaviours Pay influencers to push your idea   Testimonials from trusted experts   Show how popular it is   Incentivize personal affiliate marketing   Make it rare and time bound  65

PSYCHOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE Above the surface • What you see and experience • The total effect Below the surface • Social proof • Modelling behaviour • Influencer endorsement • Viral spread leveraging social trust • Scarcity 66

BEWARE OF UNETHICAL ABUSES OF SOCIALINFLUENCE• Fake positive testimonials• Fake negative ratings of competitor products• Tricking people into inviting their friends to join social networks• Affiliate marketing portals that masquerade as impartial and honest advisors• An important email from a fried, which is really a virus exploiting your social trust 67

CROWDSOURCED ANALYSIS 68

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THIS PRESENTATIONThis presentation is based on a multi-year study of online influence, that was published in the worlds leading scientific journal on eHealth, mHealth and medical informatics. Get the study here: http://www.jmir.org/2011/1/e17/ 74

Brian Cugelman, PhD Online strategy and research consultant Want to leverage psychology to make your websites, campaigns, or digital products more engaging and persuasive? Get in touch. www.alterspark.com@AlterSpark alterspark alterspark alterspark 75

http://www.alterspark.com	3258
http://www.cugelman.com	1341
http://blogulspada.ro	807
http://wordpress.cugelman.com	540
http://cugelman.com	284
http://selfmadehuman.com	279
http://www.conseilsmarketing.com	236
http://blog.websourcing.fr	66
http://www.stonepower.fr	32
http://www.ronaldcburkhardt.com	31
http://feeds.feedburner.com	20
https://twitter.com	19
http://selfmadehuman.tumblr.com	15
http://www.linkedin.com	11
http://radicalevents.ca	11
http://us-w1.rockmelt.com	10
http://strawberryj.am	9
http://www.paperblog.fr	6
http://list.ly	4
http://www.netvibes.com	3
http://tweetedtimes.com	3
http://safe.txmblr.com	2
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com	2
http://paper.li	2
http://translate.googleusercontent.com	2
http://www.twylah.com	2
http://www.selfmadehuman.com	2
https://twimg0-a.akamaihd.net	1
http://127.0.0.1	1
http://creativemarketingconcepts.tumblr.com	1

Social Psychology of Social Media

by Brian Cugelman, PhD (AlterSpark) on Feb 26, 2012

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

30 Embeds 7,000

Statistics

Social Psychology of Social Media Presentation Transcript