Investigating the possibility of biasing recommendation algorithms from users' rating behavior in online social networks

Subject Areas : Computer Engineering and IT

Mehdi Safarpour ¹ , Seyed Hadi Yaghobian ² , Karamollah BagheriFard ³ , razieh malekhoseini ⁴ , Samad Nejatian ⁵

1 - Islamic Azad University Shiraz Branch
2 - Department of Computer Engineering Yasooj Branch, Islamic Azad University Yasooj, Iran
3 - Department of Computer Engineering, Yasooj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasooj, Iran
4 - Assistant professor in architecture, Department of architecture and urban design, Shiraz Branch , Islamic Azad University, Shiraz , Iran
5 - Department of Electrical Engineering, Yasooj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Yasooj, Iran

Received: 2023-12-10 Accepted : 2024-02-14 Published : 2024-03-08

Keywords: social networks, recommendation systems, collaborative filtering, users' behavior prediction ,

Abstract :

As online social networks become more widely used, there is a growing focus on the role of recommender algorithms within these platforms. It is important to assess the accuracy of these algorithms in providing suitable recommendations. Our research demonstrates that the presence of individuals and acquaintances within social networks influences user behavior in ways that are largely psychological. Many user actions on a post are influenced by their respect or closeness to the post's owner. This article explores how the predictability of user behavior towards posts from friends and acquaintances highlights the impact of emotional connections stemming from stable social relationships on post acceptance. It also raises concerns about the potential for incorrect recommendations in algorithms based on collaborative filtering due to data bias caused by these factors.

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