Negativity bias in emergent online events: Occurrence and manifestation

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.01361

Abstract

Abstract:

In the generation and dissemination of network emergencies, people tend to pay more attention to the processing and transmission of negative information, and have a negative bias. According to the characteristics of the brewing, outbreak and spread stages of events, this study constructs a psychological mechanism model, and tests the emergence and development of negative bias in information content, information processing and information transmission through three studies. The results show that negative bias is generated not only in the source discourse of network emergencies, but also in the process of individual information processing and interpersonal information transmission, which is manifested in the better memory effect and higher discrimination of individuals on negative words, as well as the selective transmission of negative information and negative interpretation of fuzzy information by netizens. The current research is conducive to understanding the regular pattern of information dissemination of network emergencies, scientifically coping with public opinion crisis and innovating network governance.

Key words: network emergencies, negative bias, memory, transmission chain experiment, cultural evolution

ZHANG Mei, DING Shuheng, LIU Guofang, XU Yazhen, FU Xinyuan, ZHANG Wei, XIN Ziqiang. (2021). Negativity bias in emergent online events: Occurrence and manifestation. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 53(12), 1361-1375.

Figures/Tables 11

References 42

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Positive vocabulary		Neutral vocabulary		Negative vocabulary
Words in the text	Words not in the text	Words in the text	Words not in the text	Words in the text	Words not in the text
Cherish	Spirit	After all	Background	Dirty	Depression
Life	Face	Transfer	Assessment	Crazy	Be on tenterhooks
Load bearing	Patience	Lubricant	Probability	Secretly	Suicide
Overjoyed	Protection	Originally	Self-reproach	Prohibition	Crime
Victory	Innocence	Society	Processing	No choice	Hell
Lively	Warm	Reaction	Occupation	Undisguisedly	Money grabbing
Love	Confidence	Thoroughly	Products	Complaints	Be cornered
Dawn	Fair and considerate	Parallel	Network	Secretly behind	Maim
Pleasure	Sincerity	Once	Colleagues	Destroy	Rough
Outstanding	Lively and vividly	Status	News	Accidents	Do evil

Positive vocabulary		Neutral vocabulary		Negative vocabulary
Words in the text	Words not in the text	Words in the text	Words not in the text	Words in the text	Words not in the text
Cherish	Spirit	After all	Background	Dirty	Depression
Life	Face	Transfer	Assessment	Crazy	Be on tenterhooks
Load bearing	Patience	Lubricant	Probability	Secretly	Suicide
Overjoyed	Protection	Originally	Self-reproach	Prohibition	Crime
Victory	Innocence	Society	Processing	No choice	Hell
Lively	Warm	Reaction	Occupation	Undisguisedly	Money grabbing
Love	Confidence	Thoroughly	Products	Complaints	Be cornered
Dawn	Fair and considerate	Parallel	Network	Secretly behind	Maim
Pleasure	Sincerity	Once	Colleagues	Destroy	Rough
Outstanding	Lively and vividly	Status	News	Accidents	Do evil

Nature of words	P _hit	P _Missing	P _{False Alarm}	P _{Correct Rejection}	Discrimination A '	Criteria B ''
Positive	0.70 ± 0.20	0.30 ± 0.20	0.64 ± 0.23	0.36 ± 0.23	0.55 ± 0.16	-0.16 ± 0.32
Neutral	0.64 ± 0.19	0.36 ± 0.19	0.60 ± 0.26	0.40 ± 0.26	0.52 ± 0.21	-0.13 ± 0.34
Negative	0.61 ± 0.22	0.39 ± 0.22	0.37 ± 0.19	0.63 ± 0.19	0.68 ± 0.16	0.03 ± 0.38

Nature of words	P _hit	P _Missing	P _{False Alarm}	P _{Correct Rejection}	Discrimination A '	Criteria B ''
Positive	0.70 ± 0.20	0.30 ± 0.20	0.64 ± 0.23	0.36 ± 0.23	0.55 ± 0.16	-0.16 ± 0.32
Neutral	0.64 ± 0.19	0.36 ± 0.19	0.60 ± 0.26	0.40 ± 0.26	0.52 ± 0.21	-0.13 ± 0.34
Negative	0.61 ± 0.22	0.39 ± 0.22	0.37 ± 0.19	0.63 ± 0.19	0.68 ± 0.16	0.03 ± 0.38