Review · 2025
The Psychology of Virality
Reviews & maps
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The books, papers, reviews, and cases behind the work—kept public as a shelf to explore, not as proof of a finished answer.
Chapter 6 reviewed · Source #011
Diffusion of InnovationsEverett M. Rogers · 2003
The latest book reading pairs Rogers’ adoption attributes with chapters 3 and 13 of Andrew Chen’s The Cold Start Problem. A chapter review does not mean the whole book has been deep-read. Every library entry links back to the original source.
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Diffusion & adoption
Network structure
Content sharing
Platform effects
Attention & media
Evidence reviewed means source-level material has been verified against the original. It does not mean the project has published a cross-source conclusion. Metadata only means the catalogue record is public, while full-text claims are not available. Deferred records await suitable processing.
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Review · 2025
What Gets Shared, and Why? Interpersonal Communication and Word of Mouth
Reviews & maps
Systematic review · 2025
Viral Marketing: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda
Reviews & maps
Survey · 2017
A Survey on Information Diffusion in Online Social Networks: Models and Methods
Reviews & maps
Survey · 2013
Information Diffusion in Online Social Networks: A Survey
Reviews & maps
Critical review · 2010
Innovation Diffusion and New Product Growth Models: A Critical Review and Research Directions
Reviews & maps
Review chapter · 2018
Complex Contagions: A Decade in Review
Reviews & maps
Review · 2018
The Science of Fake News
Reviews & maps
Review · 2014
Word of Mouth and Interpersonal Communication: A Review and Directions for Future Research
Reviews & maps
Meta-analysis · 2016
The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth on Sales: A Meta-Analytic Review of Platform, Product, and Metric Factors
Reviews & maps
Book · 2003
Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition
Diffusion & adoption
Paper · 1969
A New Product Growth Model for Consumer Durables
Diffusion & adoption
Paper · 1973
The Strength of Weak Ties
Network structure
Paper · 1978
Threshold Models of Collective Behavior
Thresholds & cascades
Paper · 1967
The Small World Problem
Network structure
Book · 1978
Micromotives and Macrobehavior
Thresholds & cascades
Paper · 1998
Collective Dynamics of ‘Small-World’ Networks
Network structure
Paper · 1999
Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks
Network structure
Paper · 2002
A Simple Model of Global Cascades on Random Networks
Thresholds & cascades
Paper · 2007
Complex Contagions and the Weakness of Long Ties
Complex contagion
Paper · 2010
The Spread of Behavior in an Online Social Network Experiment
Complex contagion
Paper · 2012
Structural Diversity in Social Contagion
Complex contagion
Paper · 2003
Maximizing the Spread of Influence through a Social Network
Influence maximization
Paper · 2000
The Small-World Phenomenon: An Algorithmic Perspective
Network navigation
Paper · 2001
Talk of the Network: A Complex Systems Look at the Underlying Process of Word-of-Mouth
Diffusion & adoption
Paper · 2009
The Role of Hubs in the Adoption Process
Seeding & influencers
Paper · 2007
New Product Diffusion with Influentials and Imitators
Seeding & influencers
Paper · 2011
Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion
Seeding & influencers
Paper · 2009
Distinguishing Influence-Based Contagion from Homophily-Driven Diffusion in Dynamic Networks
Causal identification
Paper · 2006
Network-Based Marketing: Identifying Likely Adopters via Consumer Networks
Network targeting
Paper · 2012
What Makes Online Content Viral?
Content psychology
Paper · 2011
Arousal Increases Social Transmission of Information
Content psychology
Paper · 2011
What Do People Talk About? Drivers of Immediate and Ongoing Word-of-Mouth
Content psychology
Paper · 2013
Communication Channels and Word of Mouth: How the Medium Shapes the Message
Channel effects
Paper · 2001
Emotional Selection in Memes: The Case of Urban Legends
Content psychology
Paper · 2007
Where Consumers Diverge from Others: Identity Signaling and Product Domains
Identity & signaling
Paper · 2008
Who Drives Divergence? Identity Signaling, Outgroup Dissimilarity, and the Abandonment of Cultural Tastes
Identity & signaling
Paper · 2014
Broadcasting and Narrowcasting: How Audience Size Affects What People Share
Audience design
Paper · 2014
Selfish or Selfless? On the Signal Value of Emotion in Altruistic Behavior
Audience design
Paper · 2012
A Value-Based Framework for Understanding Cooperation and Communication
Neuroscience of sharing
Paper · 2012
Brain Activity Predicts Population-Level Behavior Change
Neuroscience of sharing
Paper · 2017
A Neural Model of Valuation and Information Virality
Neuroscience of sharing
Paper · 2017
The Value of Sharing Information: A Neural Account of Information Transmission
Neuroscience of sharing
Paper · 2020
Message Self and Social Relevance Increases Intentions to Share Content
Message design
Paper · 2017
Emotion Shapes the Diffusion of Moralized Content in Social Networks
Moral emotion
Review · 2020
The MAD Model of Moral Contagion
Moral emotion
Paper · 2018
The Spread of True and False News Online
Novelty & misinformation
Paper · 2021
Out-Group Animosity Drives Engagement on Social Media
Moral emotion
Perspective · 2017
Moral Outrage in the Digital Age
Moral emotion
Paper · 2014
Experimental Evidence of Massive-Scale Emotional Contagion Through Social Networks
Emotional contagion
Paper · 2025
Engagement, User Satisfaction, and the Amplification of Divisive Content on Social Media
Content quality tradeoffs
Paper · 2007
The Dynamics of Viral Marketing
Cascade structure
Paper · 2007
Cascading Behavior in Large Blog Graphs
Cascade structure
Paper · 2012
The Structure of Online Diffusion Networks
Cascade structure
Paper · 2016
The Structural Virality of Online Diffusion
Cascade structure
Paper · 2014
Can Cascades Be Predicted?
Prediction
Paper · 2015
SEISMIC: A Self-Exciting Point Process Model for Predicting Tweet Popularity
Prediction
Paper · 2011
Differences in the Mechanics of Information Diffusion Across Topics
Topic mechanics
Paper · 2011
Everyone’s an Influencer: Quantifying Influence on Twitter
Influencers
Paper · 2012
The Role of Social Networks in Information Diffusion
Networks vs broadcast
Paper · 2013
Virality Prediction and Community Structure in Social Networks
Community structure
Paper · 2010
Information Contagion: An Empirical Study of the Spread of News on Digg and Twitter
Attention & exposure
Paper · 2010
Measuring User Influence in Twitter: The Million Follower Fallacy
Influence metrics
Paper · 2010
Want to Be Retweeted? Large Scale Analytics on Factors Impacting Retweet in Twitter Network
Retweet mechanics
Paper · 2010
What Is Twitter, a Social Network or a News Media?
Platform topology
Paper · 2012
Impact of Social Network Structure on Content Propagation: A Study Using YouTube Data
UGC diffusion
Paper · 2012
Social Networks and the Diffusion of User-Generated Content: Evidence from YouTube
UGC diffusion
Paper · 2016
The Evolution of Memes on Facebook
Memes & mutation
Paper · 2016
The Majority Illusion in Social Networks
Perception bias
Paper · 2011
Creating Social Contagion Through Viral Product Design: A Randomized Trial of Peer Influence in Networks
Viral product design
Paper · 2012
Identifying Influential and Susceptible Members of Social Networks
Causal identification
Paper · 2014
Tie Strength, Embeddedness, and Social Influence: A Large-Scale Networked Experiment
Tie strength
Paper · 2013
Selection Effects in Online Sharing: Consequences for Peer Adoption
Causal identification
Paper · 2016
Estimating Peer Effects in Networks with Peer Encouragement Designs
Experiment design
Paper · 2015
Do Your Online Friends Make You Pay? A Randomized Field Experiment on Peer Influence in Online Social Networks
Peer effects
Paper · 2009
Effects of Word-of-Mouth Versus Traditional Marketing: Findings from an Internet Social Networking Site
WOM acquisition
Paper · 2008
The Impact of Marketing-Induced Versus Word-of-Mouth Customer Acquisition on Customer Equity Growth
Customer quality
Paper · 2011
Referral Programs and Customer Value
Referral economics
Paper · 2018
How Customer Referral Programs Turn Social Capital into Economic Capital
Referral economics
Paper · 2007
A Penny for Your Thoughts: Referral Reward Programs and Referral Likelihood
Referral incentives
Paper · 2001
Customer Referral Management: Optimal Reward Programs
Referral economics
Paper · 2004
Using Online Conversations to Study Word-of-Mouth Communication
WOM measurement
Paper · 2009
Firm-Created Word-of-Mouth Communication: Evidence from a Field Test
Firm-seeded WOM
Paper · 2020
Words Matter! Toward a Prosocial Call-to-Action for Online Referral
Referral copy
Paper · 2021
Creating Social Contagion Through Firm-Mediated Message Design
Message design
Paper · 2021
Impact of Incentive Mechanism in Online Referral Programs
Referral incentives
Paper · 2024
Referral Contagion: Downstream Benefits of Customer Referrals
Referral propagation
Paper · 2011
Seeding Strategies for Viral Marketing: An Empirical Comparison
Seeding strategy
Case study · 2014
Hacking Word-of-Mouth: Making Referrals Work for Airbnb
Referral case study
Paper · 1974
A Theory of Interdependent Demand for a Communications Service
Network effects
Paper · 1985
Network Externalities, Competition, and Compatibility
Network effects
Paper · 1985
Standardization, Compatibility, and Innovation
Network effects
Paper · 1989
Competing Technologies, Increasing Returns, and Lock-In by Historical Events
Network effects
Paper · 2003
Platform Competition in Two-Sided Markets
Two-sided platforms
Paper · 2005
Two-Sided Network Effects: A Theory of Information Product Design
Two-sided platforms
Paper · 2010
Failure to Launch: Critical Mass in Platform Businesses
Critical mass
Paper · 2015
Multi-Sided Platforms
Platform definition
Review · 2017
Networks, Platforms, and Strategy: Emerging Views and Next Steps
Platform strategy
Paper · 2013
Platform Competition: Strategic Trade-Offs in Platform Markets
Platform competition
Paper · 2006
Metcalfe’s Law Is Wrong
Network value
Book · 2021
The Cold Start Problem
Network effects
Book · 2016
Platform Revolution
Platform strategy
Book · 2016
Matchmakers
Platform strategy
Paper · 1989
Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, and User Acceptance of Information Technology
Adoption models
Paper · 2003
User Acceptance of Information Technology: Toward a Unified View
Adoption models
Paper · 1982
Innovation Characteristics and Innovation Adoption-Implementation: A Meta-Analysis
Adoption attributes
Official documentation · 2026
How TikTok Recommends Content
Platform algorithms
Official documentation · 2020
How TikTok Recommends Videos #ForYou
Platform algorithms
Paper · 2022
Slapping Cats, Bopping Heads, and Oreo Shakes: Understanding Indicators of Virality in TikTok Short Videos
Short video
Paper · 2022
An Empirical Investigation of Personalization Factors on TikTok
Short video
Paper · 2026
Dynamics of Algorithmic Content Amplification on TikTok
Short video
Official documentation · 2023
Instagram Ranking Explained
Platform algorithms
System card · 2026
Instagram Feed Ranking System Card
Platform algorithms
Official documentation · 2021
On YouTube’s Recommendation System
Platform algorithms
Paper · 2016
Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations
Platform algorithms
Official documentation · 2026
How YouTube Recommendations Work
Platform algorithms
Engineering documentation · 2024
Engineering the Next Generation of LinkedIn’s Feed
Platform algorithms
Paper · 2024
LiRank: Industrial Large Scale Ranking Models at LinkedIn
Platform algorithms
Open-source documentation · 2023
Source Code for the X Recommendation Algorithm
Platform algorithms
Paper · 2022
Algorithmic Amplification of Politics on Twitter
Algorithmic amplification
Official documentation · 2026
Reddit’s Approach to Content Recommendations
Platform algorithms
Engineering case study · 2025
Modernizing Home Feed Pre-Ranking Stage
Platform algorithms
Paper · 2018
Pixie: A System for Recommending 3+ Billion Items to 200+ Million Users in Real-Time
Platform algorithms
Official documentation · 2026
A Guide to Google Search Ranking Systems
Search/discovery
Official documentation · 2026
App Store Search and Discovery
App-store discovery
Official documentation · 2026
App Discovery and Ranking
App-store discovery
Official documentation · 2023
Algorithmic Choice with Custom Feeds
Open algorithms
Paper · 2019
Characterizing Attention Cascades in WhatsApp Groups
Private messaging
Paper · 2019
(Mis)Information Dissemination in WhatsApp: Gathering, Analyzing and Countermeasures
Private messaging
Paper · 2024
Don’t Break the Chain: Measuring Message Forwarding on WhatsApp
Private messaging
Paper · 2023
Finding Goldilocks Influencers: How Follower Count Drives Social Media Engagement
Creators & seeding
Paper · 2024
Targeting Nearby Influencers: The Acceleration of Natural Triadic Closure by Leveraging Interconnectors
Creators & seeding
Paper · 2023
How Do Social Media Feed Algorithms Affect Attitudes and Behavior in an Election Campaign?
Feed experiments
Paper · 2023
Asymmetric Ideological Segregation in Exposure to Political News on Facebook
Feed exposure
Article · 2018
Growth Loops Are the New Funnels
Growth loops
Article · 2022
How to Design a Referral Program
Referral design
Article · 2021
Why the Best Way to Drive Viral Growth Is to Increase Retention and Engagement
Retention & virality
Book · 2017
Hacking Growth
Growth experimentation
Book · 2015
Traction
Distribution portfolio
Book · 2019
Product-Led Growth
Product-led growth