Research

My academic research sits at the intersection of the social sciences, physics, and computer science. I am interested in how individual actions give rise to collective phenomena in large populations. Applications include the complex interplay of social forces that produce collective intelligence, group problem-solving, consensus formation, and social norms in human social systems.

To understand the dynamics of complex systems, I rely on agent-based models to gain theoretical traction on a social behavior. Then, I test these ideas using online experiments to see if these theories hold true.

My dissertation, which was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Wharton Risk Center Russell Ackoff Fellowship, examined how the structure of collaboration networks affects the ability of groups to solve complex problems.

Publications

  • Devon Brackbill and Damon Centola. (2020). Impact of network structure on collective learning: An experimental study in a data science competition. PLOS ONE. article.
  • Damon Centola, Joshua Becker, Devon Brackbill, and Andrea Baronchelli. (2018). Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention. Science. article. pdf.
  • Joshua Becker, Devon Brackbill, and Damon Centola. (2017). Network dynamics of social influence in the wisdom of crowds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. article. pdf. COVERAGE in Harvard Business Review.
  • Jingwen Zhang, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Joshua Becker, Natalie Herbert, and Damon Centola. (2016). Support or Competition? How online social networks increase physical activity: A randomized controlled trial. Preventative Medicine Reports. article.
  • Jingwen Zhang, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Damon Centola. (2015). Efficacy and Causal Mechanism of an Online Social Media Intervention to Increase Physical Activity: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial. Preventative Medicine Reports, 2: 651-657. article. pdf.
  • Jingwen Zhang, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Damon Centola. (2015). Identifying the effects of social media on health behavior: Data from a large-scale online experiment. Data in Brief, 5: 453-457. article.
  • Devon Brackbill, Diana C. Mutz, and Edward D. Mansfield. Effects of the Great Recession on American Attitudes toward Trade. British Journal of Political Science (2016). article.

Grants

  • National Science Foundation. Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, Sociology ($11,912), March 2015. "Designing Collaboration Networks to Optimize Collective Problem-Solving" Award information.
  • Wharton Russell Ackoff Doctoral Student Fellowship for Research on Human Decision Processes and Risk Management, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania ($3,500 direct), April 2015. "Designing Collaboration Networks to Optimize Collective Problem-Solving"
  • Annenberg National Health Communication Study Seed Grant for Innovative Health Research ($35,000 direct), Fall 2013. "How Online Networks Impact Health Outcomes: An Experimental Approach" PI, Damon Centola; Co-Investigators, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Jingwen Zhang

Presentations

  • Joshua Becker, Damon Centola, and Devon Brackbill. "Network dynamics of social influence in the wisdom of crowds." American Sociological Association. Philadelphia, PA. August 2018. Mathematical Sociology Honorable Mention Award.
  • Devon Brackbill, Joshua Becker, and Damon Centola. "The Danger of Opinion Leaders: How Social Influence Affects the Wisdom of Crowds." American Sociological Association: Mathematical Sociology. Seattle, WA. August, 2016 (talk).
  • Devon Brackbill, Joshua Becker, and Damon Centola. "The Danger of Opinion Leaders: How Social Influence Affects the Wisdom of Crowds." International Conference on Computational Social Science. Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. June 24-26, 2016 (talk). video (see 28 minute mark).
  • Devon Brackbill. "The Network Structure of Collective Innovation." Network Science Institute, Northeastern University. Boston, MA. March 16, 2016 (invited talk).
  • Jingwen Zhang, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Damon Centola. "Efficacy and Causal Mechanism of an Online Social Network Intervention to Increase Physical Activity." American Public Health Association. Chicago, IL. November 2015 (talk).
  • Devon Brackbill, Joshua Becker, and Damon Centola. "The Danger of Opinion Leaders: How Centralization Undermines the Wisdom of Crowds." Workshop on Information in Networks. NYU Stern, New York, NY. October 2015.
  • Devon Brackbill. "Engineering Behavior Change through Social Media." International Conference on Computational Social Science. Helsinki, Finland. June 2015. video.
  • Devon Brackbill. "Designing Collaboration Networks for Collective Problem Solving." NetSci. Zaragoza, Spain. June 2015.
  • Jingwen Zhang, Devon Brackbill, Sijia Yang, Damon Centola. "The Causal Impact of Social Media on Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Trial." International Communication Association. San Juan, Puerto Rico. May 2015.
  • Diana C. Mutz, Edward Mansfield, and Devon Brackbill. "Origins of American Attitudes Toward Globalization: The Role of Mass Media." American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. August 31, 2013.
  • Devon Brackbill, Andrew Daniller, Alex Garlick, and Laura Silver. "Why Do People Hate the Media: A Survey-Experimental Investigation." Midwest Political Science Association. Chicago, IL. April 12, 2013.
  • Doug Allen, Devon Brackbill, Andrew Daniller, Alex Garlick, Diana C. Mutz, Laura Silver, and Ashley Tallevi. "A Re-examination of Waning Trust in the News Media." Annenberg Colloquium (Invited Talk). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. November 2012.