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A method for evaluating cognitively informed micro-targeted campaign strategies: An agent-based model proof of principle.

ABSTRACT: In political campaigns, perceived candidate credibility influences the persuasiveness of messages. In campaigns aiming to influence people's beliefs, micro-targeted campaigns (MTCs) that target specific voters using their psychological profile have become increasingly prevalent. It remains open how effective MTCs are, notably in comparison to population-targeted campaign strategies. Using an agent-based model, the paper applies recent insights from cognitive models of persuasion, extending them to the societal level in a novel framework for exploring political campaigning. The paper provides an initial treatment of the complex dynamics of population level political campaigning in a psychologically informed manner. Model simulations show that MTCs can take advantage of the psychology of the electorate by targeting voters favourable disposed towards the candidate. Relative to broad campaigning, MTCs allow for efficient and adaptive management of complex campaigns. Findings show that disliked MTC candidates can beat liked population-targeting candidates, pointing to societal questions concerning campaign regulations.

SUBMITTER: Madsen JK

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5892896 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A method for evaluating cognitively informed micro-targeted campaign strategies: An agent-based model proof of principle.

Madsen Jens Koed JK Pilditch Toby D TD

PloS one 20180410 4

In political campaigns, perceived candidate credibility influences the persuasiveness of messages. In campaigns aiming to influence people's beliefs, micro-targeted campaigns (MTCs) that target specific voters using their psychological profile have become increasingly prevalent. It remains open how effective MTCs are, notably in comparison to population-targeted campaign strategies. Using an agent-based model, the paper applies recent insights from cognitive models of persuasion, extending them ...[more]

PMID: 29634722

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Project description:In this work we demonstrate a novel method of methylation detection that utilises immunoaffinity to detect the presence of methylated DNA hybridised to a cDNA microarray. We use a monoclonal antibody specific to 5 methylcytosine to detect the presence of 5 methylcytosine in genomic DNA from human fibroblasts bearing the karyotype 45 XO. We report that over 2900 genes show the presence of methylation in this condition. We also report that 165 genes are consistently methylated in all replicates of these experiments. The methylated genes show a uniform distribution over all the chromosomes. The gene ontology of these also indicates no functional correlation between the genes that are methylated. We detect the presence of methylation in IGF2, an imprinted gene and thus known to harbour DNA methylation. The method is extremely specific and offers a quick and efficient way to analyse the methylation landscape on a high throughput scale. This method uses existing technology to assess methylation and thus can integrate very efficiently into any platform used. A method that detects DNA methylation that is not restricted to specific sequences would provide a useful platform to analyse methylation distribution among the genes in any given phenotypic condition.Availability of additional approaches to examine DNA methylation would lead to increase in our understanding of the methylome and would help define the intrinsic and extrinsic factors which govern it. Microarray based high throughput methods have been extensively used for gene expression analysis. The method described uses a microarray to analyse DNA methylation levels in a gene/cDNA/oligo specific manner. Here, genomic DNA is fragmented and used for hybridization to microarray slides. The presence of DNA cytosine methylation in the hybridized DNA is detected by employing Cy3 labelled anti 5mC( 5-methyl cytidine) antibody (monoclonal). The resolution provided by this method is dependent upon the microarray platform used. This method can be adapted to any platform thus enabling seamless integration with existing technology of gene expression analysis

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Dataset Information

A method for evaluating cognitively informed micro-targeted campaign strategies: An agent-based model proof of principle.

Publications

A method for evaluating cognitively informed micro-targeted campaign strategies: An agent-based model proof of principle.

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