How Extreme Sentiment Promotes the Spread of Health Misinformation: Structure and Characteristics

Zhao, Youlin; Tang, Wanqing; Zhou, Tingting

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132975 Copy

Description

Title

How Extreme Sentiment Promotes the Spread of Health Misinformation: Structure and Characteristics

Author(s)

• Zhao, Youlin
• Tang, Wanqing
• Zhou, Tingting

Issue Date

2026-03-12

Keyword(s)

• Extreme sentiment
• Health misinformation
• Information cascade
• Information diffusion

Abstract

Background. The rapid growth of social media has intensified the diffusion of health misinformation, which often relies on emotionally charged narratives. Extreme sentiment, reflecting highly polarized evaluations, is prevalent online and has been shown to amplify both visibility and potential social harm, making its role in information diffusion a critical research concern. Method. Using the 2025 measles outbreak as an empirical case, this study applies a dual-dimensional analytical framework that integrates diffusion structure and diffusion characteristics to examine the role of extreme sentiment in health misinformation diffusion. Diffusion structure is captured through information cascades, while diffusion characteristics are assessed by comparing reposts, replies and likes across extreme and normal sentiments. Results. The results show that extreme sentiment accelerates early-stage diffusion by enhancing urgency, reinforcing emotional alignment that deepens cascades, and triggering large-scale bursts during polarity shifts. Tweets containing extreme sentiment also consistently attract higher levels of reposting, replying, and liking, while no significant differences are observed between positive and negative extreme sentiments. Conclusions. The findings demonstrate that extreme sentiment is closely associated with faster expansion, longer duration, and greater efficiency of diffusion, highlighting the importance of monitoring sentiment intensity for early risk detection and targeted governance of health misinformation.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2026 Proceedings

Type of Resource

Other

Genre of Resource

Conference Poster

Language

eng

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132975

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2026 is held by Youlin Zhao, Wanqing Tang, and Tingting Zhou. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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