It matters how you google it? Using agent-based testing to assess the impact of user choices in search queries and algorithmic personalization on political Google Search results
通过基于代理的测试实验，研究发现用户选择的搜索查询而非算法个性化是导致谷歌搜索结果中信息来源差异的主要原因，提示未来研究应关注用户选择而非控制它们。
Abstract Search engines, as key sources of political information, have sparked concerns regarding selective exposure driven by user choices based on political beliefs and filter bubbles created by algorithms. This study focuses on the most influential yet often-overlooked user choice: search queries. We investigate the extent to which user choices (search queries) and algorithmic personalization (search history) lead to divergent search results. Building on research linking immigration- and climate-related search queries to political characteristics, we conduct an experiment on Google Search employing agent-based testing. Using computational methods, we examine variations in search results by source (type) and search result page features. Our findings show that it is the specific search queries made by users, not algorithmic personalization, that lead to substantially divergent information sources in search results. This suggests future research should prioritize user choices in information search rather than control for them.