ArticleFrontiers in public health2026
Group cognitive space of online rumors in public health emergencies: a theoretical and empirical study.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Internet rumors related to public health emergencies often trigger public panic and result in resource mismatches. During such crises, the public's cognition is not fixed but continuously undergoes a dynamic process from initial construction to reconstruction, eventually solidifying into a stable "group cognitive space." Investigating the structure of this space is crucial for understanding heterogeneous public behaviors and enhancing emergency governance. Method: This study leveraged the LDA topic model and TF-IDF word frequency analysis, in conjunction with domain ontology, to construct a knowledge-dimensional thematic repository, thereby examining the evolutionary patterns of knowledge across distinct phases of public health emergencies. Additionally, the BTM algorithm and K-Means clustering were employed to excavate thematic elements of online rumors, while emotional orientations were dynamically monitored via Baidu AI's sentiment analysis technology. Guided by Marzano's classification theory, a cognitive questionnaire was developed for the classification of 440 valid samples; subsequently, the group cognitive space was analyzed through the integration of social cognitive theory and dynamic systems theory. Results: The group cognitive space exhibits a three-dimensional structure characterized by "knowledge-theme-emotion." As the event evolves, its knowledge dimension undergoes continuous refinement, the thematic dimension becomes increasingly enriched, and the emotional dimension grows more intricate-tending toward stabilization amid ongoing reconstruction, thereby giving rise to distinct netizen subgroups with heterogeneous cognitive traits. Cluster analysis further identified five such subgroups: rational active communicators, neutral cautious bystanders, highly knowledgeable yet susceptible diffusers, indifferent and detached observers, and contradictory active participants. Furthermore, targeted online rumor management strategies are proposed for each subgroup.
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