MEME DREAMS & DIVERSIONS: TOWARD AN INTEGRATIVE THEORETICAL MODEL OF MEME DIFFUSION

SDSU Experts Workshop August 2015

Brian H. Spitzberg, Senate Distinguished Professor (School of Communication, San Diego State Univ.) [email protected]

Project supported by grant from the National Science Foundation, Grant Nos. # 1028177 and 1416509), “Spatiotemporal Modeling of Human Dynamics Across Social Media and Social Networks”. Opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the NSF. TYPES OF MEMETIC DIFFUSION PATTERNS

Cross-sectional Meme inferences 1b (maps) about event(s) Meme1 Meme…

Meme2 Meme1b Meme… Meaningful Meme Meme… Meme Event(s) 3 nx Meme Meme Meme … 1a nx Meme1b Mimetic Meme Meme Meme e.g., memes n Event(s) … … responding to: Meme Meme Memenx • Disease na 1b • Disaster e.g., memes replicating/ Meme • Election responding to: Meme… 1b • Movie • Leave Brittny alone • Charlie bit my finger Meme Meme • Etc. • http://www.memes.com/ nx … • http://knowyourmeme.com/ • http://www.memecenter.com Memenx • Etc.

Longitudinal/Sequential inferences (maps) about event(s)

POLYMEMIC EVEMEMIC ENTYMEMIC NETWORK LEVEL MULTILEVEL MODEL OF MEME DIFFUSION (M3D) ‘COMPETING’ FACTORS:

SUBJECTIVE/RECEPTIVENESS SOCIETAL LEVEL GEO-TECHNICAL LEVEL Drawing on several theories (meme, narrative Counter-Memes & Frames rationality, frame, general systems, evolution, Rival Social NetworksOUTGROUPSystem Limitation/Trauma information, social identity, communicative Frame/Narrative (In)Fidelity Counter-Memes & Frames Geospatial Scope/Span competence, social network analysis, and diffusion Subjective Homophily/Heterophily of innovations). M3D proposes memes compete at DiffusionCOMPETITIVENESS/ Stage Exhaustion Proximity/Density Facilitation multiple levels to occupy information-ecology Niche: Relative (Dis)Advantage niches. M3D provides a heuristic framework for Cascade Threshold(s)/Norms Mitigating PublicityCHALLENGE organizing manifold investigations into the roles Media Inaccessibility new media play in diffusing ideas in cyberspace and NETWORK LEVEL their representation or role in realspace events. M3D seeks to integrate theories and stimulate new ‘ALTRUISM’ FACTORS: theory development in the fields of big data and OBJECTIVE/STRUCTURAL new media. N past memes (e.g., tweets) GEO TECHNICAL N nodes (communicators) AMBIVALENT AMBIVALENT CONTEXT(S) Network Interdependence

N/Centrality of Influencers SOCIETAL COMPETITIVENESS

Network Homophily COOPERATIVENESS/ CONTEXT(S)

Network Edge Heterophiliy SOCIAL MEME INDIVIDUAL LEVEL CONTEXT/NETWORK(S) EFFICACY COMPETENCE FACTORS: Popularity Motivation/Knowledge/Skills CMC Velocity Source Credibility COMPETENCE Longevity Actor Centrality/Propinquity Fecundity/ Message/Media Adaptability Speciation MEME(S) MEME LEVEL

ADAPTIVE FACTORS:

Distinctiveness/Entropy

Reproduction/Redundancy INGROUP INGROUP Simplicity/Trialability  Popularity: % potential population touching meme Media Convergence  Velocity: Rapidity of market diffusion Media Expressivity/Richness  Longevity: Duration of meme circulation  Fecundity: Span & Popularity of meme derivations Trope/Frame/Appeal CredibilityCOMPETITIVENESS Rhetorical Exigency  Speciation: Evolutionary development