A double-identity rumor spreading model

Abstract

With the rapid spread of the Internet, the transmission of rumors via the electronic media has become ubiquitous. In the present paper, a double-identity rumor spreading model is established by considering the rumor spreading identities and real-world identities of the rumor creator, the rumor controller and the normal user. The diversity of these real-world identities encompasses five different attributes and the transition process between different rumor spreading identities. A new forgetting mechanism is proposed through a consideration of the influence of the interaction behavior on the new forgetting mechanism. Then, based on the simulation experiments of the proposed model, the impacts of the forgetting mechanism and the time lag between rumor creator and rumor controller on the spreading process of rumor are discussed. The results show that both elements play important roles in the dynamics of rumor propagation.