Research on infodemics, i.e., the rapid spread of (mis)information related to a hazardous event  such as the COVID-19 pandemic, requires the integration of a multiplicity of scientific disciplines. The dynamics emerging from infodemics have the potential to generate complex behavioral patterns. For the field of Business and Economics, understanding these dynamics is of ultimate importance : it supports, for example, anticipating individual behavior, which might help reduce the uncertainty entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and allows for assessing the efficiency of policy decisions to contain its effects. In addition to the field of Business and Economics , we take into account the following disciplines: Through the lens of Computer Science and Information Systems, the information accessible to individuals is central, whereby the way information spreads in a society is strongly affected by the employed algorithms for information provision and by personalization. From the perspective of Linguistics, specific language signals in communication which emerge during pandemics have to be taken into account (e. g., emotion-related words, avoiding causal terms). Considering linguistic patterns in the context of infodemics appears to be highly relevant as they strongly affect how information is interpreted, fact-checked, made sense of by non-expert persons, and the way misinformationis automatically detected. From a Cognitive Psychology point of view, the focus is on how motives, intuition and affect influence the search and evaluation of information , and on how cognitive processes, the digital information environment and linguistic patterns together shape individuals' understanding of critical events, risk perception and behavior. The perspective of Business and Economics allows for integrating these perspectives into the wider context of economic systems URLanizations or the society) .
Research on infodemics, i.e., the rapid spread of (mis)information related to a hazardous event , such as the COVID-19 pandemic, requires the integration of a multiplicity of scientific disciplines. The dynamics emerging from infodemics have the potential to generate complex behavioral patterns. In order to react appropriately, it is of ultimate importance for the fields of Business and Economics to understand the dynamics emerging from it. In the short run, dynamics might lead to an adaptation in household spending or to a shift in buying behavior towards online providers. In the long run, changes in investments, consumer behavior, and markets are to be expected. We argue that the dynamics emerge from complex interactions among multiple factors, such as information and misinformation accessible for individuals and the formation and revision of beliefs. (Mis)information accessible to individuals is, amongst others, affected by algorithms specifically designed to provide personalized information, while automated fact-checking algorithms can help reduce the amount of circulating misinformation. The formation and revision of individual (and probably false) beliefs and individual fact-checking and interpretation of information are heavily affected by linguistic patterns inherent to information during pandemics and infodemics and further factors, such as affect, intuition and motives. We argue that, in order to get a deep(er) understanding of the dynamics emerging from infodemics, the fields of Business and Economics should integrate the perspectives of Computer Science and Information Systems, (Computational) Linguistics, and Cognitive Science into the wider context of economic systems URLanizations , markets or industries) and propose a way to do so .
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For the field of Business and Economics, understanding these dynamics
In order to react appropriately, it
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: it supports, for example, anticipating individual behavior, which might help reduce the uncertainty entailed by the COVID-19 pandemic and allows for assessing the efficiency of policy decisions to contain its effects. In addition to the field of
for the fields of
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, we take into account the following disciplines: Through the lens of Computer Science and Information Systems, the information accessible to individuals is central, whereby the way information spreads in a society is strongly affected by the employed algorithms for information provision and by personalization. From the perspective of Linguistics, specific language signals in communication which emerge during pandemics have to be taken into account (e. g., emotion-related words, avoiding causal terms). Considering linguistic patterns in the context of infodemics appears to be highly relevant as they strongly affect how information is interpreted, fact-checked, made sense of by non-expert persons, and the way misinformationis automatically detected. From a Cognitive Psychology point of view, the focus is on how motives, intuition and affect influence the search and evaluation of information , and on how cognitive processes, the digital information environment and linguistic patterns together shape individuals' understanding of critical events, risk perception and behavior. The perspective
to understand the dynamics emerging from it. In the short run, dynamics might lead to an adaptation in household spending or to a shift in buying behavior towards online providers. In the long run, changes in investments, consumer behavior, and markets are to be expected. We argue that the dynamics emerge from complex interactions among multiple factors, such as information and misinformation accessible for individuals and the formation and revision of beliefs. (Mis)information accessible to individuals is, amongst others, affected by algorithms specifically designed to provide personalized information, while automated fact-checking algorithms can help reduce the amount of circulating misinformation. The formation and revision of individual (and probably false) beliefs and individual fact-checking and interpretation of information are heavily affected by linguistic patterns inherent to information during pandemics and infodemics and further factors, such as affect, intuition and motives. We argue that, in order to get a deep(er) understanding of the dynamics emerging from infodemics, the fields
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allows for integrating these perspectives
should integrate the perspectives of Computer Science and Information Systems, (Computational) Linguistics, and Cognitive Science
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or the society)
, markets or industries) and propose a way to do so