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Divided by the Algorithm? The (limited) effects of content- and sentiment-based news recommendation on affective, ideological, and perceived polarization

Ludwig, Katharina ; Grote, Alexander; Iana, Andreea; Alam, Mehwish; Paulheim, Heiko; Sack, Harald; Weinhardt, Christof ORCID iD icon; Müller, Philipp

Abstract:

Recent rises in political polarization across the globe are often ascribed to algorithmic content filtering on social media, news platforms, or search engines. The widespread usage of news recommendation systems (NRS) is theorized to drive users in homogenous information environments and, thereby, drive affective, ideological, and perceived polarization. To test this assumption, we conducted an online experiment (n = 750) with running algorithms that enriches content-based NRS with negative or neutral sentiment. Our experiment finds only limited evidence for polarization effects of content-based NRS. Nevertheless, the time spent with an NRS and its recommended articles seems to play a crucial role as a moderator of polarization. The longer participants were using an NRS enriched with negative sentiment, the more they got affectively polarized, whereas participants using an NRS incorporating balanced sentiment ideologically depolarized over time. Implications for future research are discussed.


Verlagsausgabe §
DOI: 10.5445/IR/1000150717
Veröffentlicht am 18.07.2023
Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.1177/08944393221149290
Scopus
Zitationen: 3
Dimensions
Zitationen: 1
Cover der Publikation
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik (FZI)
Institut für Angewandte Informatik und Formale Beschreibungsverfahren (AIFB)
Institut für Wirtschaftsinformatik und Marketing (IISM)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsmonat/-jahr 12.2023
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 0894-4393, 1552-8286
KITopen-ID: 1000150717
Erschienen in Social Science Computer Review
Verlag SAGE Publications
Band 41
Heft 6
Vorab online veröffentlicht am 08.01.2023
Nachgewiesen in Web of Science
Scopus
Dimensions
KIT – Die Forschungsuniversität in der Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft
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