Botnet Influence in Norm Transmission

• In Event: Poster Session: Political Psychology: Applications in Political Psychology

Abstract

The botnet – a mash up of robot and network – is a favored tool of modern propaganda campaigns. Bots are autonomous programs performing repetitive tasks by running scripts on the Internet, including interactions with other computers or users who often do not know they are bots. In theory the bots, like human influencers and internet trolls, amplify messages so that their ubiquity becomes itself a form of persuasion. But little is known about the influence of bots on norms, including those essential to a thriving democracy: equal treatment and the rule of law, respect for human rights, and civilian control of the military. Populist authoritarian leaders seek to undermine such norms through online campaigns that promote divisive behavior instead. Defined as “social facts,” norms depend upon numbers. Do botnets provide the social proof necessary to undercut these norms? We test this proposition with a simple study. We present normative messages supporting or undermining democratic norms in a simulated Twitter-type environment. We compare reactions to unlabeled messages to those labeled as delivered by bots. This research is part of a larger effort to map key thresholds in cyberspace for the life and death of democratic norms.

Author

• Karen Guttieri, Air University