In Conversation
07.06.21
ODYCCEUS Podcast
The ODYCCEUS project researches how opinions are formed in social networks. In a podcast, researchers provide insights into how their work contributes to a better understanding of social issues - from climate change to political crises.
In Conversation
09.02.21
Polarization in social media — MPG Interview with Eckehard Olbrich & Sven Banisch
Eckehard Olbrich and Sven Banisch were interviewed as part of an MPG focus issue on online hate speech. The two scientists are investigating how opinions are formed in social media and to what extent this leads to increased polarization.
Research Briefs
14.08.20
Opinion Models in Odycceus: Social Feedback and Polarization
Sven Banisch and Eckehard Olbrich detail some of their work within the Horizon 2020 project Odycceus. In their research brief they elucidate the use of mathematical models in the opinion formation under social influence in agent-based networks.
Accolades
24.09.20
Anatol Rapoport Prize for Opinion Polarization Model
Congratulations to Sven Banisch and Eckehard Olbrich. They have been awarded this year's Anatol Rapoport Prize by the German Society for Sociology for their research on the influence of social feedback on opinion polarization.
Press Releases
30.10.18
Not Only Arguments Count
The phenomenon of opinion polarization has gained a lot of public attention in recent years, especially in the political context.
/
Social Media — Democratization or radicalization engine?
Over the last decades, the image of the internet in media has undergone a drastic shift. Initially, it promised vast democratic potential by fostering transparency and encouraging universal participation. However, these expectations have lately been clouded by concerns, as the internet is now often portrayed as the origin of fundamental threats to societies like radicalization, misinformation, and political manipulation.
By developing methods to study political discourse online, the ODYCCEUS project operates in the tension between these poles. In this event, we want to reflect on our role and the role of science in general in recovering the internet’s democratic potential.
Join us when we discuss this question with Julia Ebner (author and political advisor, expert on online extremism), Andreas Jungherr (political scientist studying the impact of digital media on politics and society), and Philipp Lorenz-Spreen (MPI for Human Development, researcher of online behavior).