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Using big data to predict collective behavior in the real world1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2014

Helen Susannah Moat ,
Tobias Preis ,
Christopher Y. Olivola ,
Chengwei Liu  and
Nick Chater
Helen Susannah Moat
Affiliation:
Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/suzy-moat/ Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/tobias-preis/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/chengwei-liu/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/
Tobias Preis
Affiliation:
Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/tobias-preis/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/chengwei-liu/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/
Christopher Y. Olivola
Affiliation:
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. [email protected]://sites.google.com/site/chrisolivola/
Chengwei Liu
Affiliation:
Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/tobias-preis/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/chengwei-liu/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/
Nick Chater
Affiliation:
Behavioural Science Group, Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/tobias-preis/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/chengwei-liu/[email protected]://www.wbs.ac.uk/about/person/nick-chater/
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Abstract

Recent studies provide convincing evidence that data on online information gathering, alongside massive real-world datasets, can give new insights into real-world collective decision making and can even anticipate future actions. We argue that Bentley et al.’s timely account should consider the full breadth, and, above all, the predictive power of big data.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , February 2014 , pp. 92 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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Footnotes

1.

Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of IARPA, DoI/NBC, or the U.S. Government.

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