Research On Blood-donation Behavior Contagion In Social Network

In the absence of any external force and without any economic benefit returns,nonprofitable donation behavior continues happening. Meanwhile, as a type of voluntary behavior that is beneficial for others and of no obvious benefits for oneself, donations exist extensively and broadly accompanied by the transfer of space and the passage of time.Behind the social phenomenon of donations, it reveals the altruism of human nature and directly challenges the selfish views of rational economic man, and then becomes a controversial puzzle on which people from all walks of life have not reached a consensus.For this puzzle, the academia researches on donation behavior from multiple perspectives.But there still are disagreement and controversies about the behavior origination, particular focusing on: whether it is the outcome of individual free will or the result influenced by others’ donations. Clearly the role of others’ donation behavior is critical to identify the behavior origination. Therefore it is significant to explore the process of others’ donations influencing one’s donation behavior. In other word, could the generation of one’s donation behavior be triggered by others’ donation behavior,namely is there an effect of behavioral contagion in interpersonal relationship?To answer the above question, this research chooses the contagion of blood-donation behavior as research subject. On the basis of reviewing relevant literature, it constructs a research framework of four parts: validation of behavior contagion effect, determination of spread distance, characteristics of network structural restrictions, interacting effect between scenarios and behavior contagion. Finally the knowledge and rule discovery about donation behavior contagion in social network are carried out, as follows:Firstly, the contagion effect of blood-donation behavior along interpersonal connections is conformed. This research discovers the spread phenomenon of donation behavior in interpersonal relationship, and makes causality inference analysis for the spread phenomenon, and then concludes that the contagion effect is the reason why donation behavior spreads, and finally the contagion effect is validated and confirmed through a field experiment. The results show that donation behavior is contagious and one’s donation behavior can bring the donation behavior of others, i.e. the spread phenomenon of donation behavior along interpersonal connections. Meanwhile, it proposes that the contagion of donation behavior originates in cultural gene differences and the altruistic meme is the outcome of donation behavior contagion. Meme and behavioral contagion as the pros and cons of cultural demand, the cultural demand illustrates the existence of meme which brings the occurrence of behavior contagion. The realization of cultural demand belongs to the rational choice of group behavior in the long process of human evolution history, through the meme being expressed and the behavior contagion being occurred.Secondly, the spread distance of blood-donation behavior in social network is measured.This research collects the friendship data and the blood-donation data of undergraduates in the Z School of D University in Sichuan, and then adopts the Logit regression model and Tobit cutting regression model to test the behavioral correspondences of two degrees of separation and that of three degrees of separation, i.e. measure the spread distance of blood-donation behavior in friendship network. The social contagion theory with the spread rule of behavioral influence is used for analyzing and interpreting the spread phenomenon of blood-donation behavior. The results show that the contagion of donation behavior in social network extends up to two degrees of separation,namely one’s donation behavior not only influences the donation behavior of friends (one degree), but also the donation behavior of friends of the friends(two degrees). It proposes that the behavior contagion is featured by the range attenuation, namely the influential strength of contagious behavior is inversely proportional to social distance, i.e. the greater the social distance, the smaller the behavioral influential strength, vice versa. Furthermore, the behavior contagion is featured with multi-source reinforcement, namely a node that is connected with multiple active nodes tends to be activated with larger possibility than others under the wave interference of contagious behavior, i.e. that node is easier to be activated and its behavior is more responsive than others, which helps demonstrate the spread phenomenon of behavior contagion.Thirdly, the spread characteristics of blood-donation behavior constrained by social network structure are simulated and analyzed. Through agent-simulation platform of NetLogo, this research constructs a simulation model of donation behavior contagion,featured by behavioral rules including homogeneity, two degrees of separation, range attenuation, relationship strength, the paradox of influence, behavioral contagion threshold,etc. Then the behavior-space tool is used to carry out simulation experiments for testing the network structure mechanism that constrains behavior contagion effect. Relevant theoretical analysis is made in the end. The results show that there is a lag, emergent and progressive phenomenon produced by behavior contagion. Those factors that are average path length,relationship strength and the degree distribution of network node restrict the occurrence of the donation behavior contagion and its duration. It proposes that strong ties are prone to trigger the contagion of donation behavior and then to raise the spread rate of donation behavior. On the other hand, the weak ties do not help the happening and the completion of behavior contagion, which is significantly different from the process of information diffusion and virus transmission enhancing by weak ties.Fourthly, the interactions among the contagion effect and scene latitude effect are explored. This research compiles assessment questionnaires of situations including that the behavior contagion effect interacts with space distance and with bandwagon effect, and then relevant questionnaire data are collected and analyzed by chi-square statistic model. The research discoveries are theoretical interpreted in the end. The results show that the enhanced effect of behavioral tendency caused by behavioral contagion can significantly offset the weakening effect of behavioral tendency caused by the increase of space distance.Meanwhile, the enhanced effect of behavioral tendency caused by behavioral contagion can significantly offset the weakening effect of behavioral tendency caused by negative conformity. However, the behavior contagion effect does not significantly interact with the positive bandwagon effect. It proposes that the variety of effects on the generation of donation behavior are structural coupled together. Whether the function of effect structure is adjusted or not depends on whether the main effect is altered or not when an influence is exerted, and then the changes of behavioral tendency will be present.Upon the completion of the above four parts, combined with research discoveries and relevant theoretical interpretations, this paper goes back to the controversial point whether one’s donation behavior comes from free will or others’ behavioral influence, and then proposes views of speculative philosophy, as follows:Behavior contagion is the result as an adaptive choice impacted comprehensively by both free will and others’ behavior. It is rooted in the compatible theory from the view of philosophy. One’s behavior can be generated by the influence of others’ behavior as a type of contagious outcome, but it is still a choice made by oneself through free will.From the perspective of free will, one person could make a choice whether accept others’ behavioral influences or not, which cultivates cultural genes or blocks the spread of meme. Then the society is divided into groups carried with cultural genes and groups without cultural genes,forming a phenomenon of divergent human society. From the perspective of others’ behavior influences, those who accept the influence of others’ behavior become members in groups carried with cultural gene. When the corresponding situation is available in future, the meme will be expressed by realizing the cultural demand, and then the contagious effect and the phenomenon of behavior spread will be demonstrated, which helps reach a consensus on the behavior identity and cultural norms inside a group. Thus,when free will plays a role,divergent groups with different meme are formed; when others’behavior influence plays a role, behavior identity and cultural norms of a group are formed.Free will and others’ behavior influences are dialectical and unified in the process of groups’formation.Finally, with seasonal and regional challenge of blood shortage, this research provides some suggestions based on the policy orientation, mainly including: how to quickly search the target population of blood donation in an emergent situation of blood shortage; how to raise the proportion of blood-donors in population through adjusting reward policy; etc. Its purpose is to improve and prefect the blood donation policy in China so that the donation career could be healthy and sustainably developed.