Research

Dissertation

Computational Models of Political Learning and Belief Polarization: From Individuals through Social Networks to Disruptive Systems

This project examines the dynamic interplay of information dissemination, belief formation, and social interactions within the political communication landscape of the new digital media environment, particularly focusing on social media. Employing agent-based modeling, this research explores how cognitive biases, social network structures, and misinformation influence political belief formation in digital environments. Structured into four essays, the study begins with a theoretical and methodological foundation, followed by three modeling essays that investigate the impact of cognitive biases on information credibility, the influence of social network interactions on belief formation and consensus, and the effects of disinformation on social learning. Key findings reveal that while cognitive biases shape information credibility assessments, robust and diverse social interactions can mitigate misleading information and facilitate social consensus. The dissertation contributes to political communication and computational social science by demonstrating how agent-based simulations provide nuanced insights into the interactions between individual behaviors and network effects, offering practical implications for countering misinformation and enhancing public discourse resilience in the digital age.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

Woon, Jonathan, Minsu Jang, Kira Pronin, & Jacob Schiller. 2023. "Discussion and Fairness in a Laboratory Voting Experiment." Journal of Experimental Political Science, 1-13. doi:10.1017/XPS.2023.29 Link

Book Chapter

Park, Myungho, Minsu Jang, Seonah Jeong, and Chanhee Yook. 2015. "Issue Voting: The Introduction and Development of VAAs in Korea" in Political Behavior and Technology: Voting Advice Applications in East Asia edited by Da-chi Liao, Boyu Chen, and Michael J. Jensen. Palgrave Macmillan, NY: NY.

Working Papers

"Why We Need Computational Microscopes: Different Views of Multiplex, Geo-referenced Information Ecosystems from Southwestern Pennsylvania with Applications to Black Lives Matter Protests, Vaccine Misinformation, and Claims of Election Fraud." (with Michael Colaresi and Bree Bang-Jensen)

"Gender Stereotypes 25 Years Later: A Replication of Huddy and Terkildsen." (with Kristin Kanthak, David McCoy, Max Peterson, Jacob Schiller)

"Nudging Poll Workers: A Field Experiment during the 2020 Peruvian Congressional Election" (with Jose Incio and Jacob Schiller)

"Exploring North Korea’s Strategic Translation of Political Messaging." (with Kevin Greene and Junghyun Lim)

You can also find my articles on my Google Scholar profile.