The impact of the self-recognition ability and physical quality on coupled negative information-behavior-epidemic dynamics in multiplex networks

Abstract

In recent years, as the COVID-19 global pandemic evolves, many unprecedented new patterns of epidemic transmission continue to emerge. Reducing the impact of negative information diffusion, calling for individuals to adopt immunization behaviors, and decreasing the infection risk are of great importance to maintain public health and safety. In this paper, we construct a coupled negative information-behavior-epidemic dynamics model by considering the influence of the individual's self-recognition ability and physical quality in multiplex networks. We introduce the Heaviside step function to explore the effect of decision-adoption process on the transmission for each layer, and assume the heterogeneity of the self-recognition ability and physical quality obey the Gaussian distribution. Then, we use the microscopic Markov chain approach (MMCA) to describe the dynamic process and derive the epidemic threshold. Our findings suggest that increasing the clarification strength of mass media and enhancing individuals' self-recognition ability can facilitate the control of the epidemic. And, increasing physical quality can delay the epidemic outbreak and leads to suppress the scale of epidemic transmission. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the individuals in the information diffusion layer leads to a two-stage phase transition, while it leads to a continuous phase transition in the epidemic layer. Our results can provide favorable references for managers in controlling negative information, urging immunization behaviors and suppressing epidemics.