Big Data in the New Media Environment: Commentary on Bentley, O'Brien, & Brock (2014)

Bentley, O’Brien, & Brock (Bentley et al.) argue for the social scientific contextualization of “big data” by proposing a four-quadrant model. We suggest extensions of the east (socially motivated)—west (independently motivated) decision-making dimension in light of findings from social psychology and neuroscience. We outline a method that leverages linguistic tools to connect insights across fields that address the individuals underlying big-data media streams.