Introduction: The social network paradigm

The social network paradigm is a construct for analysis of social relationships developed in social anthropology. As a concept, however, the social network paradigm has undergone parallel development in several academic and clinical streams of research and practice. Basic research and clinical questions are presented for further exploration in the development of the paradigm.This work was supported in in part by grant #AA03506-01AL from the national Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, awarded to the University of California, Irvine, Department of Psychiatry.     

Sequential social network data

A new method is proposed for the statistical analysis of dyadic social interaction data measured over time. The data to be studied are assumed to be realizations of a social network of a fixed set of actors interacting on a single relation. The method is based on loglinear models for the probabilities for various dyad (or actor pair) states and generalizes the statistical methods proposed by Holland and Leinhardt (1981), Fienberg, Meyer, & Wasserman (1985), and Wasserman (1987) for social network data. Two statistical models are described: the first is an associative approach that allows for the study of how the network has changed over time; the second is a predictive approach that permits the researcher to model one time point as a function of previous time points. These approaches are briefly contrasted with earlier methods for the sequential analysis of social networks and are illustrated with an example of longitudinal sociometric data.Research support provided by National Science Foundation Grant #SES84-08626 to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and by a predoctoral traineeship awarded to the second author by the Quantitative Methods Program of the Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, funded by ADAHMA, National Research Service Award #MH14257. We thank the editor and three anonymous referees for helpful comments.This paper is based on research presented at the 1986 Annual Meeting of the Psychometric Society, Toronto, Ontario, June, 1986.     

The effects of service dogs on social acknowledgments of people in wheelchairs

Able-bodied people often exhibit behaviors that show them to be socially uncomfortable upon encountering a physically disabled stranger. These behaviors include less eye contact, gaze avoidance, greater personal distance, and briefer social interactions. This study examined whether persons in wheelchairs with service dogs receive more frequent social acknowledgement from able-bodied strangers than people in wheelchairs without dogs receive. Behaviors of passersby were recorded by an observer who followed a person in a wheelchair at a distance of 15 to 30 feet. Observations were made in public areas amid pedestrian traffic, areas such as shopping malls and a college campus. The behaviors of passersby to the person in a wheelchair, with or without a service dog, were recorded, including smiles, conversation, touch, gaze aversion, path avoidance, or no response. Results indicated that both smiles and conversations from passersby increased significantly when the dogs were present. These findings suggest that the benefits of service dogs for their owners extend beyond working tasks to include enhanced opportunities for social exchange. The service dogs substantially reduced the tendency of able-bodied people to ignore or avoid the disabled person.     

Supportive and problematic social interactions: A social network analysis

Assessed the number of sources of supportive and problematic social interactions in the total social network as well as the number who were the sources of consistently supportive or problematic interactions in a sample of 2nd year medical students. Number of problematic interaction sources was hypothesized to be more predictive of psychological and physical well-being than number of supportive interaction sources. Results showed that total supportive and total problematic interaction sources were equally predictive of life satisfaction. The presence of at least one individual who is a consistent source of problematic interactions was most predictive of lower life satisfaction. Results indicate the importance of studying both supportive and problematic social interactions. They also suggest that interactions with individuals that are consistently problematic may negatively impact upon well-being.     

Beauty,the social network1

Aesthetic values give agents reasons to perform not only acts of contemplation, but also acts like editing, collecting, and conserving. Moreover, aesthetic agents rarely operate solo: they conduct their business as integral members of networks of other aesthetic agents. The consensus theory of aesthetic value, namely that an item’s aesthetic value is its power to evoke a finally valuable experience in a suitable spectator, can explain neither the range of acts performed by aesthetic agents nor the social contexts in which they operate. This paper proposes a new theory of aesthetic value specifically to explain facts about the sociality of aesthetic agents.     

The influence of social networks on romantic relationships: Through the lens of the social network

Past research indicates that social network support is linked to relationship development and continuation. This study fills a gap in the literature by examining social network influence from the perspective of network members. University students completed a survey about a relationship in their network of which they had a strong reaction, either positive or negative. Participants' social reactions to the targeted relationship were associated with the likelihood that they engaged in behaviors to try to influence the relationship. About two thirds of the participants believed that their behaviors had an influence on the outcome of the relationship, and those who reported more influence attempts also reported that they had a greater effect on the relationship. The findings help paint a picture of social network reactions, perceptions, and influence directed toward relationships, from the perspective of the social network.     

The effect of social network intervention for women with rheumatoid arthritis

A partially-controlled intervention study was performed. Female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were allocated to three groups: the network intervention group (n = 104), the attention control group (n = 85), and the no-treatment control group (n = 75). The network intervention consisted of an assessment session and a network meeting. Patients were assessed at baseline and approximately 10 and 18 months after the intervention. The network intervention group reported an increase in network size. Daily emotional support increased for the intervention patients compared with patients in the attention control group. The degree of social dysfunction was reduced for patients in the intervention group compared to patients in the no-treatment control group. Furthermore, for single patients, the intervention significantly increased the social network size and improved both social functioning, and perceived overall health, compared to both control groups. The results suggest that the social needs of single patients should be given special attention in clinical settings.     

The adaptation of black graduate students: A social network approach

Despite the importance of increasing the number of graduate degrees awarded to members of minority groups, there has been little research on how minority students adapt to the graduate school environment. The present study examined how social integration and social support were related to academic performance and psychological well-being among 89 black graduate and professional students. Findings indicate that black graduate students were not well integrated into their academic environment. Students in relatively more integrated departments were better adjusted, had higher grades, and perceived themselves to be making good progress in their graduate work. These students were also less likely to have considered dropping out of school. Frequency of out-of-school contact with black faculty and the number of black students in the department were important social integration and social support variables. The implications of these findings for minority student retention are discussed.     

Cracks in a postdisaster service delivery network

Poor linkage cracks are defined and identified empirically in a postdisaster service delivery network. These cracks exist when essential services are provided only by isolated or peripheral clusters of organizations. Network analysis is used to identify the isolated and peripheral clusters of organizations. Measures of experience in responding to disasters and service capacity are used to identify the organizations whose services are essential in the network. Cracks prevent the network from responding effectively in the aftermath of a disaster. Suggestions are made for using network analysis to identify cracks and to improve planning and coordination in all kinds of service networks. Collection of the data for this work was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Societal Response to Earthquake Hazards Mitigation Program, Grant No. CEE-8314421. The analysis and writing were accomplised with support from the National Science Foundation, Grant No. BCS-8920472. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. An early version of this paper was presented at the annual meetings of the Midwest Sociological Society, Des Moines, Iowa, April 1991. This paper was distinctly improved through our response to extensive and perceptive suggestions given by the editor and reviewers of theAmerican Journal of Community Psychology. We thank them for the help.     

Groups as social network members: Overlooked sources of social support

In a study of the link between physical disability and social relationships among the elderly, questions about social network and social support evoked a surprisingly large number of group responses. People mentioned "my grandchildren," "the people in my building," "people at the senior center," and other groups in ways that suggested that the real unit of support was extraindividual and could not be accurately understood by reference to individual people within those groups. This paper describes the frequency of such responses and the circumstances under which they emerged. Definitions of social support and of social network should not be restricted to dyadic relationships between individuals; better understanding of social support processes would derive from consideration of the kinds of social support functions best offered by groups vs. individuals and consideration of differences in the ways in which support is derived from groups and individuals.     

Interactive effects of social network centrality and social identification on stress

The present study aimed to integrate the social identity approach to health and well-being with social network analysis. Previous research on the effects of social network centrality on stress has yielded mixed results. Building on the social identity approach, we argued that these mixed results can be explained, in part, by taking into account the degree to which individuals identify with the social network. We hence hypothesized that the effects of social network centrality on stress are moderated by social identification. Using a full roster method, we assessed the social network of first-year psychology students right after the start of their study programme and three months later. The effects of network centrality (betweenness, closeness, eigenvector centrality) and social identification on stress were examined using structural equation models. As predicted, our results revealed a significant interaction between network centrality and social identification on stress: For weakly or moderately identified students, network centrality was positively related to stress. By contrast, for strongly identified students, network centrality was unrelated to stress. In conclusion, our results point to the perils of being well-connected yet not feeling like one belongs to a group.     

The child's social network: Sex differences from three to six years

The social networks of 85 young children as they make the transition from a home-centered to a more school-centered existence is examined using longitudinal data. When the children were three and six years of age, their mothers completed a questionnaire of network structure; at six years both the child and mother independently reported the friends that the child would invite to a birthday party. The effects of age and sex of child on the number and daily contact with peers, adults, kin, nonkin, males, and females were found. As expected, as children reached formal school age they had increased contact with peers and decreased contact with kin, while adult contact remained fairly consistent over the three- to six-year age period. Sex differences were also apparent. As predicted, children as early as 3 years, and to an even greater extent at six years, showed more same-sex compared to opposite-sex peer contact. At six years both children and mothers reported more same- as compared to opposite-sex friends who would be invited by the child to a birthday party. The findings suggest how children's social networks, as shaped by their parents and themselves, provide a framework within which experience and interaction is structured to fit cultural norms.     

心理学在社会服务体系中作用的思考——以复原力建设为例

在社会心理服务体系建设中, 心理学到底起着什么样的作用?怎样才能更好地构建全面系统的多主体社会心理服务体系?在社会心理服务体系建设中如何推动心理学自身的发展?这些问题一直受到广大心理学者的关注。以复原力为例, 通过对个体、团队以及社区心理复原力建设路径的理论总结, 加上实践案例, 以期为社会心理服务体系建设提供知识借鉴与参考, 并反思心理学在此过程中的作用与角色。心理学专业研究团队可以通过整合其在社会支持体系中的应用, 推动心理学在社会服务体系中的应用。     

基于QQ空间的社交网站使用对青少年抑郁的影响:上行社会比较和自尊的序列中介作用

为探讨社交网站(QQ空间)使用对青少年抑郁的影响及其作用机制,在社会比较和抑郁易感性模型的视角下,采用社交网站使用强度问卷、上行社会比较问卷、自尊量表和抑郁量表,对964名中学生进行调查。结果表明:(1)在控制了性别、年龄以及社交网站使用年限后,社交网站使用对抑郁和社交网站中的上行社会比较都有显著的正向预测作用;(2)社交网站使用能通过社交网站中的上行社会比较和自尊的中介作用对抑郁产生影响,且该中介作用包含了两条路径——上行社会比较的单独中介作用以及上行社会比较-自尊的链式中介作用。本研究揭示了社交网站使用与抑郁的关系及其作用机制,深化了社交网站使用对个体影响的研究。