Collective cognition · OSF-COG-039
Dossier 03 — Sociology: Trump, TikTok and GameStop, polarization and collective action
By Carlos J. Pérez Pulido · ISHEA Institute ·
Three contemporary cases, Trump's populism, TikTok's algorithmic echo chambers and the GameStop financial swarm, show how fragmented transmission and cognitive tension break a shared sense of purpose.
Preprint — Manuscript deposited on OSF. Not peer-reviewed.
This dossier examines polarization, digital disinformation, and collective action through three sociological cases: Trump’s populism, TikTok’s algorithmic echo chambers, and the GameStop financial swarm. Each illustrates how Transmission (T) fragmentation and cognitive tension disrupt collective purpose, validating ISHEA in contemporary social systems.
🏛 Dossier 03 – Sociology: Trump, TikTok, and GameStop
Sociological Validation of ISHEA–KTR–TACC–IHC through Polarization and Collective Action
Author: Carlos Pérez Pulido
Year: 2025
Overview
This dossier applies the ISHEA–KTR–TACC–IHC model to contemporary sociological phenomena where collective behavior and communication breakdowns redefine purpose. Three cases are analyzed:
- Trump’s populism as a narrative of fragmented K (purpose).
- TikTok’s algorithmic echo chambers as a distortion of T (transmission).
- GameStop’s financial swarm (2021) as an emergent TACC cycle of collective action.
All three cases demonstrate how Transmission failures and polarization increase systemic tension and raise IDCS values, validating the model in the sociological domain.
Key Sociological Insights
- Trump and Populism:
- Fragmented K (purpose reduced to identity politics).
- Polarized T (transmission dominated by misinformation).
- Low R (resilience of institutions under strain).
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Outcome: systemic distrust and political instability.
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TikTok and Echo Chambers:
- Algorithms amplify division (T distorted).
- Cognitive overload raises stress and IDCS.
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Collective purpose (K) replaced by micro-tribes.
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GameStop Swarm (2021):
- Tension (hedge funds shorting stock).
- Action (mass buying by Reddit communities).
- Creativity (memes as organizing force).
- Confirmation (temporary victory vs Wall Street).
- Validates the TACC cycle in digital financial sociology.
Hypotheses
- H15.1: Polarization and misinformation represent a collapse of T (transmission).
- H15.2: Populism thrives when K (purpose) is reduced to identity, eroding systemic resilience.
- H15.3: Swarm actions (GameStop) are modern TACC cycles—short-lived but powerful demonstrations of collective creativity.
Results (Conceptual Validation)
- Trump-era U.S. politics show high IDCS values due to polarization and mistrust.
- TikTok algorithms amplify cognitive fragmentation, mirroring low T efficiency.
- GameStop validates TACC as a cycle of collective mobilization, though not sustainable without institutional K/R.
Conclusion
Sociological evidence supports the ISHEA model:
- Fragmented K and T → polarization and instability.
- Short TACC cycles (GameStop) → creativity without resilience.
- Strong institutions (aligned K/T/R) → systemic stability.
The dossier confirms that the K–T–R cycle is visible not only in health or biology but also in modern social systems, where communication and purpose shape collective resilience.
Files in this folder
- exp15_sociology_trump_tiktok_gamestop.md
- exp15_sociology_dataset.csv
- exp15_sociology_analysis.py
- figures/exp15_polarization_map.png
- figures/exp15_tacc_gamestop.png
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