Impacts of information diffusion on green behavior spreading in multiplex networks

Abstract

The widespread of green behavior is no doubt benefit to reduce carbon emissions. Understanding its spreading is thereby an important issue. Based on the theory of multiplex network and the Microscopic Markov Chain Approach (MMCA), this study aims to analyze the impacts of information diffusion on the green behavior spreading in an artificial multiplex network T and a real multiplex network P. The results show that green behavior adoption may exhibit abrupt increases due to slight impacts directly from information diffusion. The results also reveal that choosing individuals with high popularity to be initial spreaders is not a necessary condition for the widespread of green behavior, but choosing those with popularity under turning point is inadvisable. Note that the turning point seems to be influenced by the network structure. The study contributes to the development of the literature by establishing the network that reflects the interactions between the information diffusion and the green behavior spreading. The study provides the policymakers who try to promote green behavior with the possible way to make the green behavior easier to break out and the standard to select initial information spreaders.