Network structure shapes consensus dynamics through individual decisions.

ABSTRACT: How do shared narratives emerge in decentralized online networks? Prior research using simplified group coordination tasks (e.g., face-naming) shows network structure shapes group consensus, but the underlying cognitive mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we examine how network structure influences the emergence and semantic content of shared narrative beliefs in experimental online social networks, using natural language processing measures and agent-based modeling. Media content with complex causal structure attenuates network structure effects by encouraging longer exploration of background knowledge. Yet network structure still shapes the narrative content communicated. An embedding-based narrative alignment measure shows that fully connected groups orient their interactions more toward c

SUBMITTER: Priniski JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12799169 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature