Information dissemination behavior of self-media in emergency: Considering the impact of information synergistic-hedging effect on public utility

Abstract

In the context of emergency, besides handling the incident itself, controlling public opinion is also crucial. Self-media, as a crucial channel for the public to access information, controlling its dissemination behavior is key to public opinion management. Given the complexity of self-media information dissemination, we propose an evolutionary model for social media information dissemination behavior based on complex network theory and evolutionary game theory. Firstly, aiming at the synergistic and hedging effects of information dissemination, we use the utility function to depict the public's information demand. Next, based on the public's information needs, evolutionary game theory is introduced to analyze the information dissemination behavior between two self-media entities. Lastly, we map the dissemination behavior of self-media onto network space, analyzing the information propagation behavior of self-media within a complex network. The study shows that the probability of self-media disseminating positive information increases with the rise of the positive information synergistic effect and decreases with the increase of the negative information synergistic effect. When positive and negative information coexists, the dissemination behavior of self-media depends on the influence size of positive and negative information. With the improvement of government credibility, the probability of self-media disseminating positive information decreases slightly at first, and then increases rapidly. When the government's penalties increase, the probability of self-media disseminating positive information quickly rises. The changes in noise intensity have an uncertain impact on the positive information dissemination behavior of self-media. Compared with other factors, self-media is more sensitive to government credibility and punishment.