This paper investigates whether reward learning mechanisms contribute to social media behavior. Using computational models based on reinforcement learning theory and analyzing over one million posts from over 4000 individuals on multiple social media platforms, the study finds that human behavior on social media conforms to reward learning principles. Users spaced their posts to maximize social rewards, considering effort and opportunity costs. Individual differences in social reward learning were also observed. An online experiment further verified the causal influence of social rewards on behavior. The findings support a reward learning account of social media engagement.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Feb 26, 2021
Authors
Björn Lindström, Martin Bellander, David T. Schultner, Allen Chang, Philippe N. Tobler, David M. Amodio
Tags
reward learning
social media behavior
reinforcement learning
social rewards
user engagement
computational models
individual differences
Related Publications
Explore these studies to deepen your understanding of the subject.