Algorithm vs. friends – An examination of algorithmic and social influences on individual decision-making in a digital society

Algorithm vs. friends – An examination of algorithmic and social influences on individual decision-making in a digital society

In today’s digital media environment, people are facing predominantly two sources of recommendations: social contacts – such as friends, family, and acquaintances – and algorithms (i.e., recommender systems). Due to their social versus technical nature, they can influence individual decision-making differently, harmonizing but also conflicting with each other. The state of research, however, lacks an integrative and coherent theoretical understanding of how both algorithmic and social contacts influence individual decision-making. Moreover, because of the current focus on news recommender systems in the political area, there is scarce corresponding knowledge in the areas of health and work, both of which are highly relevant and often intertwined domains of daily life (e.g., work-related stress).

The project pursues three aims in three work packages (WPs). 

1. The first aim is to develop a theory of algorithmic and social influences on individual decision-making that considers the co-occurrence and interaction of both in digital media environments. To this end, WP1 will synthesize theories and knowledge from  communication science, sociology, and informatics.  

1. The second aim is to empirically examine the theoretical propositions in the context of health- and work-related decision-making. In WP2, we will conduct an online-survey in the German-speaking part of Switzerland that includes a scenario-based (“vignettes”) experiment presenting low- and high-impact decisions in health and work situation.  

1. The third aim is to use this project as a starting point to establish a mid- to long-term research environment dealing with digital influences. In WP3, we will organize a one-day workshop to which we will invite other experts from the UZH and Higher Education Institutions (i.e., ZHAW, ZHdK, PHZH). In that context, we will discuss possibilities for a follow-up project (e.g., submitted as DIZH project) and/or a research infrastructure (e.g., submitted as DSI Lab). 

The core project team consists of five scientists from three DSI Communities – Communication, Health, and Work – and different disciplines. It will be led by the chairs of the Community Communication Sarah Geber (Department of Media and Communication Research) and Lea Stahel (Department of Sociology) and will be enriched by the expertise of Aleksandra Urman (Department of Informatics, Community Communication), Felix Gille (Department of Epidemiology, Community Health), and Katja Rost (Department of Sociology, Community Work).