Taking Control of Your Bonding:Controlled Social Network Adaptation Using Mental Models

In this chapter, the role of subjective elements and control in social network adaptation is analysed computationally. In particular, it is analysed: (1) how the coevolution of social contagion and bonding by homophily may be controlled by the persons involved, and (2) how subjective representation states (e.g., what they know) can play a role in this coevolution and its control. To address this, a second-order adaptive social network model is presented in which persons do have a form of control over the coevolution process, and, in relation to this, their bonding depends on their subjective representation states about themselves and about each other, and social contagion depends on their subjective representation states about their connections.</p

Diversity in Valuing Social Contact and Risk Tolerance Lead to the Emergence of Homophily in Populations Facing Infectious Threats

How self-organization leads to the emergence of structure in social populations remains a fascinating and open question in the study of complex systems. One frequently observed structure that emerges again and again across systems is that of self-similar community, i.e., homophily. We use a game theoretic perspective to explore a case in which individuals choose affiliation partnerships based on only two factors: the value they place on having social contacts, and their risk tolerance for exposure to threat derived from social contact (e.g., infectious disease, threatening ideas, etc.). We show how diversity along just these two influences are sufficient to cause the emergence of self-organizing homophily in the population. We further consider a case in which extrinsic social factors influence the desire to maintain particular social ties, and show the robustness of emergent homophilic patterns to these additional influences. These results demonstrate how observable population-level homophily may arise out of individual behaviors that balance the value of social contacts against the potential risks associated with those contacts. We present and discuss these results in the context of outbreaks of infectious disease in human populations. Complementing the standard narrative about how social division alters epidemiological risk, we here show how epidemiological risk may deepen social divisions in human populations.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

A Connected World: Social Networks and Organizations

This Element synthesizes the current state of research on organizational social networks from its early foundations to contemporary debates. It highlights the characteristics that make the social network perspective distinctive in the organizational research landscape, including its emphasis on structure and outcomes. It covers the main theoretical developments and summarizes the research design questions that organizational researchers face when collecting and analyzing network data. Then, it discusses current debates ranging from agency and structure to network volatility and personality. Finally, the Element envisages future research directions on the role of brokerage for individuals and communities, network cognition, and the importance of past ties. Overall, the Element provides an innovative angle for understanding organizational social networks, engaging in empirical network research, and nurturing further theoretical development on the role of social interactions and connectedness in modern organizations

Social Hierarchy & Social Networks: The Effects of Prestige and Dominance within a Developmental Context

There has been a recent resurgence in interest about status and status hierarchies in human behaviour. This development was spurred by Henrich and Gil-White (2001), who outlined a model for understanding status in humans, with two pathways to achieving status, via dominance and prestige. The growing support that Henrich and Gil-White’s hypothesis has gained has produced import insights within the field. However, questions still remain about the social processes that govern prestige, dominance and rank differentiation. The current research integrative social network theory and analysis with theory produced within the field of social hierarchy. Moreover, research was carried out among a network of social orphan within Romania; measuring prestige, dominance, influence and network effect. The results of the current research indicate that whilst all humans have the propensity to utilize prestige and dominance as rank acquisition strategies and that both pathways are viable routes for accruing rank. However, the evidence further suggests that socio-cultural processes and network structure largely govern an individual’s behaviour and rank acquisition strategy

A Connected World. Social Networks and Organizations

This is the submitted version. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via the DOI in this recordThis Element synthesizes the current state of research on organizational social networks from its early foundations to contemporary debates. It highlights the characteristics that make the social network perspective distinctive in the organizational research landscape, including its emphasis on structure and outcomes. It covers the main theoretical developments and summarizes the research design questions that organizational researchers face when collecting and analyzing network data. Then, it discusses current debates ranging from agency and structure to network volatility and personality. Finally, the Element envisages future research directions on the role of brokerage for individuals and communities, network cognition, and the importance of past ties. Overall, the Element provides an innovative angle for understanding organizational social networks, engaging in empirical network research, and nurturing further theoretical development on the role of social interactions and connectedness in modern organizations

Birds of a feather ... Selection and socialization processes in youths' social networks

In dit proefschrift worden drie verschillende studies beschreven naar de socialisatie en selectie van leeftijdsgenoten. Hierbij is onderzocht op basis van welke kenmerken leerlingen elkaar selecteren als vrienden of groepsgenoten, en op welke kenmerken ze elkaar socialiseren. Voor het onderzoek hebben we sociale netwerk technieken (ERGM en SIENA) gebruikt. Uit de resultaten van de eerste studie (bij 296 basisschoolleerlingen uit groep 8) bleek dat etnische achtergrond van leerlingen een rol speelt bij de selectie van zowel vrienden als 'sociale interactie partners', die niet per sé tot de vrienden horen. Uit de andere twee studies (bij 542 middelbare schoolleerlingen uit 2e klassen ) bleek dat leerlingen elkaar niet selecteren als vrienden op basis van schoolprestaties. Ze bleken elkaar daarentegen wel te beïnvloeden, als het gaat om prestaties op de vakken Engels en Nederlands, en niet als het gaat om prestaties voor wiskunde. Vrienden werden tevens niet geselecteerd op basis van internaliserend probleemgedrag, maar wel op basis van externaliserend probleemgedrag: leerlingen met vergelijkbaar probleemgedrag zochten elkaar op als vrienden. Leerlingen trokken zich niet terug en werden niet vermeden op basis van hun probleemgedrag, en socialiserden elkaar niet m.b.t. internaliserend probleemgedrag. Wel bleken vrienden elkaar te socialiseren in termen van externaliserend probleemgedrag.UBL - phd migration 201