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ACL
2015

Linguistic Harbingers of Betrayal: A Case Study on an Online Strategy Game

7 years 11 months ago
Linguistic Harbingers of Betrayal: A Case Study on an Online Strategy Game
Interpersonal relations are fickle, with close friendships often dissolving into enmity. In this work, we explore linguistic cues that presage such transitions by studying dyadic interactions in an online strategy game where players form alliances and break those alliances through betrayal. We characterize friendships that are unlikely to last and examine temporal patterns that foretell betrayal. We reveal that subtle signs of imminent betrayal are encoded in the conversational patterns of the dyad, even if the victim is not aware of the relationship’s fate. In particular, we find that lasting friendships exhibit a form of balance that manifests itself through language. In contrast, sudden changes in the balance of certain conversational attributes—such as positive sentiment, politeness, or focus on future planning—signal impending betrayal.
Vlad Niculae, Srijan Kumar, Jordan L. Boyd-Graber,
Added 13 Apr 2016
Updated 13 Apr 2016
Type Journal
Year 2015
Where ACL
Authors Vlad Niculae, Srijan Kumar, Jordan L. Boyd-Graber, Cristian Danescu-Niculescu-Mizil
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