network control
Definition
Network control refers to the design and application of strategies to direct groups toward desired behavioral states by leveraging social influence dynamics within group structures. Using dynamical systems and Boolean network methods, network control identifies and manipulates group-level processes to promote or prevent specific behaviors without requiring changes to social ties themselves. The method accommodates both assimilative social influence (where individuals conform to peers' behavior) and repulsive social influence (where individuals diverge from peers' behavior), enabling the development of group-specific interventions tailored to each member's pattern of social influence and behavior. Control strategies may target central network nodes or identify key individuals whose behavioral change would elicit desired outcomes from the majority of group members, with effectiveness depending on the group's underlying social influence structure.
Sources: Yang et al. (2024)
Related Terms
Applications
Network Control and Behavior Change
Network control strategies are explicitly designed to manage group processes of behavior change, directing groups toward states where the majority of members adopt desired behaviors. The Boolean network method enables practitioners to develop targeted interventions that promote behavior change through social influence mechanisms without manipulating the social ties themselves.
Sources: Yang et al. (2024)
Network Control and Social Influence
Network control relies fundamentally on understanding and leveraging both assimilative and repulsive social influence processes operating simultaneously within groups. By modeling the temporal relations between group members' behaviors, network control strategies can identify which individuals' behavioral states should be modified to elicit cascading influence across the network.
Sources: Yang et al. (2024)
