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Moving Beyond Stance Detection in Cross-Cutting Communication Analysis

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Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Modeling (SBP-BRiMS 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14161))

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Abstract

In today’s social media landscape, personal opinions on controversial topics are widespread. While some platforms provide structured environments for discussing such matters, fostering cross-cutting communication among individuals, understanding how people engage in these discussions remains a challenge. This study aims to understand the dynamics of discussing controversial topics, focusing specifically on the topic of abortion. Using an aspect-based approach, we employ BERT-based topic modeling and attention mechanisms to identify key aspects of debates. Through clustering, we identify highly polarizing aspects and examine the contextual nuances and sentiment surrounding them. Our methodology enhances our understanding of cross-cutting communication on controversial topics and offers an in-depth analysis of consensus and disagreement among participants. Our study contributes to the field of stance analysis, revealing opportunities for mutual understanding and uncovering diverse perspectives on controversial issues. (Warning: this paper contains content that may be triggering.)

D. D. Ramos and S. Jeoung—Equal contribution.

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Acknowledgment

This work was supported in part by the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including a Linowes Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

    Rezvaneh Rezapour

  2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA

    Daniela Delgado Ramos, Sullam Jeoung & Jana Diesner

Authors
  1. Rezvaneh Rezapour
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  2. Daniela Delgado Ramos
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  3. Sullam Jeoung
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  4. Jana Diesner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rezvaneh Rezapour .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Army Cyber Institute, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA

    Robert Thomson

  2. Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA

    Samer Al-khateeb

  3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA

    Annetta Burger

  4. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg, PA, USA

    Patrick Park

  5. Army Cyber Institute, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY, USA

    Aryn A. Pyke

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Rezapour, R., Delgado Ramos, D., Jeoung, S., Diesner, J. (2023). Moving Beyond Stance Detection in Cross-Cutting Communication Analysis. In: Thomson, R., Al-khateeb, S., Burger, A., Park, P., A. Pyke, A. (eds) Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Modeling. SBP-BRiMS 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14161. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43129-6_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43129-6_30

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-43128-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-43129-6

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