Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada.
Toronto Metropolitan University, Canada.
Curr Opin Psychol. 2024 Feb;55:101726. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101726. Epub 2023 Nov 7.
Social media simulation software (SMSS) allows researchers to collect behavioural data on how participants to engage with researcher-specified social media content using natural, interactive social media user interfaces. A notable subset of SMSS allow for experimental observation of how people engage with different types of content or user interfaces. Providing an avenue for collecting causal evidence on how algorithmic recommendation systems and design affordances of social media platforms impact behaviour; particularly online harms like misinformation. This article reviews key similarities and differences between three notable SMSS (The (Mis)information Game, the Mock Social Media Website Tool, and the Truman Platform), provides recommendations for use, and perspectives on the future of SMSS.
社交媒体模拟软件 (SMSS) 允许研究人员通过自然、交互式的社交媒体用户界面，收集参与者与研究人员指定的社交媒体内容互动的行为数据。SMSS 的一个显著子集允许对人们如何与不同类型的内容或用户界面互动进行实验观察。它为收集关于算法推荐系统和社交媒体平台设计功能如何影响行为的因果证据提供了一个途径；特别是像错误信息这样的在线危害。本文回顾了三种著名的 SMSS（信息游戏、模拟社交媒体网站工具和 Truman 平台）之间的主要异同点，提供了使用建议，并对 SMSS 的未来进行了展望。
