Following emergencies, related information rapidly spreads online, and persuasive communication is essential for reducing negative effects. Based on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and observation of real-world cases, there are several heterogeneous cognitive routes among netizens, each with distinct information-processing mechanisms and associated persuasion costs. Thus, the selection of persuasion strategies can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to integrate ELM-based cognitive heterogeneity into opinion dynamics modeling and to design the optimal persuasive communication strategy through dynamic optimal control. It was found that the effectiveness of persuasive communication depends on how well the strategy aligns with the major cognitive routes of netizens. Under more complex and dynamic settings, the optimal control solutions indicate that persuasion resource allocation should be adjusted according to the number of netizens and the route-specific persuasion costs. By integrating psychological insights with dynamic modeling and optimal control, this study improves the theoretical rigor and practical applicability of public opinion persuasion.
Citation: Wanglai Li, Hanzhe Yang, Huizhang Shen, Zhangxue Huang. Optimal control of persuasive communication for emergency management[J]. Journal of Industrial and Management Optimization, 2026, 22(1): 148-181. doi: 10.3934/jimo.2026006
Following emergencies, related information rapidly spreads online, and persuasive communication is essential for reducing negative effects. Based on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and observation of real-world cases, there are several heterogeneous cognitive routes among netizens, each with distinct information-processing mechanisms and associated persuasion costs. Thus, the selection of persuasion strategies can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to integrate ELM-based cognitive heterogeneity into opinion dynamics modeling and to design the optimal persuasive communication strategy through dynamic optimal control. It was found that the effectiveness of persuasive communication depends on how well the strategy aligns with the major cognitive routes of netizens. Under more complex and dynamic settings, the optimal control solutions indicate that persuasion resource allocation should be adjusted according to the number of netizens and the route-specific persuasion costs. By integrating psychological insights with dynamic modeling and optimal control, this study improves the theoretical rigor and practical applicability of public opinion persuasion.
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Wanglai Li, Hanzhe Yang, Huizhang Shen, Zhangxue Huang. Optimal control of persuasive communication for emergency management[J]. Journal of Industrial and Management Optimization, 2026, 22(1): 148-181. doi: 10.3934/jimo.2026006
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