Temporal Characterization of Cultural Communities: A Computational Social Science Approach to Collective Memory and Attention

Collective forgetting is the process by which attention to cultural pieces decays over time. Research has shown that collective memory and attention decay in a universal two-step fashion, with a short high-intensive attention stage followed by a longer less-intensive attention stage. However, little is known about how this decay pattern changes over time. This project aims to study the temporal dynamics, changes, and effects of external shocks on collective memory and attention. The focus is on the differences between different domains of cultural production, such as knowledge and art, using a dynamic model and Big Data methods. The investigation will compare the attention dynamics of scientific articles and patents in the knowledge domain, and songs and films in the art domain. External shocks, such as health crises and awards, will also be studied. The study will contribute to understanding the dynamics of collective attention and formation of collective memories, and may have potential policy implications.