Field Experiments on Social Media

Online behavioral data, such as digital traces from social media, have the potential to allow researchers an unprecedented new window into human behavior in ecologically valid everyday contexts. However, research using data is often purely observational, which limits its usefulness for identifying causal relationships. Here we review recent innovations experimental approaches studying online behavior, with a particular focus on related misinformation and political psychology. In hybrid lab-field studies, exposure social-media content can be randomized, impact attitudes beliefs measured surveys, or treatments randomized within survey experiments, their subsequent observed. field experiments conducted administered directly users environment (e.g., via social-tie invitations, private messages, public posts) without revealing that they are part of experiment, effects then The strengths weaknesses each approach discussed, along practical advice central ethical constraints studies.