Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks

Manuel Förster, Ana Mauleon and Vincent Vannetelbosch
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Manuel Förster: CES, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France, and CORE, University of Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Manuel Foerster

No 2014.50, Working Papers from Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei

Abstract: We investigate the role of manipulation in a model of opinion formation. Agents repeatedly communicate with their neighbors in the social network, can exert effort to manipulate the trust of others, and update their opinions about some common issue by taking weighted averages of neighbors' opinions. The incentives to manipulate are given by the agents' preferences. We show that manipulation can modify the trust structure and lead to a connected society. Manipulation fosters opinion leadership, but the manipulated agent may even gain influence on the long-run opinions. Finally, we investigate the tension between information aggregation and spread of misinformation.

Keywords: Social networks; Trust; Manipulation; Opinion leadership; Consensus; Wisdom of Crowds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D83 D85 Z13 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cdm, nep-gth, nep-ict, nep-mic, nep-net, nep-soc and nep-ure
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Related works:
Journal Article: Trust and manipulation in social networks (2016)
Working Paper: Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks (2016)
Working Paper: Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks (2014)
Working Paper: Trust and manipulation in social networks (2013)
Working Paper: Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks (2013)
Working Paper: Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks (2013)
Working Paper: Trust and Manipulation in Social Networks (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fem:femwpa:2014.50

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