UROP Research Mentor Project Submission Portal: Submission #607

Submission information
Submission Number: 607
Submission ID: 9311
Submission UUID: c92065d7-0b5b-4eb6-98bf-a0bfe7b7f8e3

Created: Fri, 08/25/2023 - 09:56 PM
Completed: Fri, 08/25/2023 - 09:56 PM
Changed: Tue, 08/29/2023 - 03:44 PM

Remote IP address: 96.255.35.246
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No
Primary Research Mentor Name Marcos M. Vasconcelos
Research Mentor Preferred Pronouns
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Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated) m.vasconcelos@fsu.edu
Position Title Faculty
FSU College (if applicable) FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
FSU Department or Non-FSU Organization Affiliation Electrical and Computer Engineering
Headshot (optional) marcos.jpg
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from above)
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Pronouns
Research Assistant Supervisor Preferred Honorific?
Contact Email (FSU Email if affiliated)
Name of Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) (if applicable)
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Pronouns
Other Faculty/Collaborator(s) Preferred Honorific?
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Title of the Project The effect of private preferences on content distribution platforms
Project Keywords Social networks, content distribution, signaling games, micro economics, misinformation
Are you currently looking for research assistants? Yes
Number of Research Assistants Needed 2
Relevant Research Assistant Major(s) Economics
Electrical Engineering
Marketing
Business
Industrial Engineering
Project Location: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
If the project location is off campus, does the research assistant(s) need to provide their own transportation? No, the project is remote
Please select the choice that most accurately describes your expectations for the research assistant(s): Partially Remote
Approximately how many hours a week would the research assistant(s) need to work? 10 hours/week
Roughly what time frame do you expect research assistant(s) to work? Flexible schedule (Combination of business and outside of business. TBD between student and research mentor.)
Overall Research Project Description Information dissemination is primarily controlled through platforms across their social media network structure. At the heart of this system is the platform itself, which has access to a vast array of heterogeneous content. On the periphery, individual users act as information consumers. It has become widely recognized that these platforms utilize a mechanism popularly known as "The Algorithm". The "Algorithm" selects the type of information to present to users, relying on a Model or an estimation of content preferences specific to each consumer. The user's objective is straightforward – to maximize utility – while the platform's aim is to enhance consumer engagement. The misalignment between the user's and platform's objectives results in intriguing behaviors that can be observed empirically. In this project the students will investigate how content distribution platform works, what engagement maximization means, and how the misalignment with the user's objective due to inaccurate private preferences estimates might lead to polarization and segregation in social networks.
Research Tasks Literature review
Mathematical modeling
Study social networks and how "The Algorithm" works
Skills that research assistant(s) may need: Interest in mathematical modeling of social networks (strongly recommended)
Interest in Economics and Marketing (recommended)
Mentoring Philosophy My mentoring philosophy is based on helping students gain confidence in their ideas and developing their creativity. I strongly believe that there is no limit to what the human mind can accomplish, and that the world of ideas has an infinite number of 'low hanging fruits'; we just need to learn how to look at problems from different angles. I am committed to sharing my experience and providing a safe and nurturing environment for students who have a genuine interest in science and a passion for developing new ideas.
Please provide a link to your publications, a video clip, or a website for your research project (if applicable):
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Mentor Handbook, FAQs, and Communication Yes
UROP Performance Evaluation Yes
Materials Grant Yes
UROP Poster Presentation Yes
Year 2023
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