Introduction: Network Perspectives - Content Meets Structure

When we try to understand human behavior or beliefs, we might be tempted to either see these as the outcome of an individual’s free choice or as the result of individual characteristics. However, humans have a need for social contact (i.e., to interact with others; Crosier, Webster, and Dillon, 2012). This social component offers a third type of explanation for why people behave in a specific way or why they tend to hold a specific belief. That is that their behavioral decisions and beliefs are linked to how they are connected to others. The core idea of this perspective is that social relations impact our behavior and shape our beliefs and views on life, while at the same time, we might be selective about who we form relationships with. Such a relational perspective might not only be useful to explain individual behavior and beliefs but might also help explain how cooperation and coordination come about between people, organizations, or even nations. Since organizations and nations are made up of individuals, their coordinations can, in essence, be seen as complex aggregations of individual behavior. Hence, a social network analytical perspective might not only help explain individual behavior but also those of organizations and countries. Central to this third type of explanation is the idea of looking at the world like a social network. This easy_social_sciences issue consists of four papers that take up this idea and highlight different research areas from a social network perspective

The Interplay between the One and the Others: Multiple Cultural Identifications and Social Networks

This article proposes a social network approach to the study of multiple cultural identifications. We argue that social network theory and social network methodology are essential for a truly dynamic examination of how multiple cultural identifications develop and how they are negotiated. This article starts by defining some relevant concepts (i.e., cultural identification, Bicultural Identity Integration, social networks), and then goes on to integrate these concepts into a micro-meso-level framework by discussing the bidirectional links between cultural identifications and social networks (i.e., their content and their structure). We, then, explicate how social and cultural psychology can gain theoretically and methodologically from social network analysis. Finally, we conclude with some recommendations for researchers who seek to include social networks in their approach, and also discuss general and specific policy implications

The (Diverse) Company You Keep: Content and Structure of Immigrants' Social Networks as a Window Into Intercultural Relations in Catalonia

This research examines how the social networks of immigrants residing in a European bicultural and bilingual context (Catalonia) relate to levels of adjustment (both psychological and sociocultural) and to bicultural identity integration (BII). Moroccan, Pakistani, Ecuadorian, and Romanian immigrants residing in Barcelona nominated 25 individuals (i.e., alters) from their habitual social networks and provided demographic (e.g., ethnicity), relationship type (e.g., family, friend, neighbor), and structural (who knew whom) information for each of these alters. Even after controlling for individual-level demographic and acculturation variables, the content and structure of immigrants’ personal social networks had unique associations with both types of adjustment and with BII. Specifically, the overall degree of cultural diversity in the network and the amount of Catalan (but not Spanish) "weak" ties (i.e., acquaintances, colleagues, neighbors) positively predicted these outcomes. Amount of interconnectedness between local coethnic and Catalan/Spanish alters also predicted sociocultural adjustment and BII positively. Finally, against a "culture and language similarity" hypothesis, Moroccan and Pakistani participants had social networks that were more culturally integrated, relative to Ecuadorians and Romanians. Results from this study attest to the importance of examining actual intercultural relations and going beyond individuals’ reported acculturation preferences to understand immigrants’ overall adaptation and cultural identity dynamics. Furthermore, results highlight the interplay between interculturalism experienced at the intrapersonal, subjective level (i.e., BII), and at the meso-level (i.e., having culturally diverse networks that also include interethnic ties among alters)

Conceptualizing the Dynamics between Bicultural Identification and Personal Social Networks

An adequate understanding of the acculturation processes affecting immigrants and their descendants involves ascertaining the dynamic interplay between the way these individuals manage their multiple (and sometimes conflictual) cultural value systems and identifications and possible changes in their social networks. To fill this gap, the present research examines how key acculturation variables (e.g., strength of ethnic/host cultural identifications, bicultural identity integration or BII) relate to the composition and structure of bicultural individuals’ personal social networks. In Study 1, we relied on a generationally and culturally diverse community sample of 123 Latinos residing in the US. Participants nominated eight individuals (i.e., alters) from their habitual social networks and across two relational domains: friendships and colleagues. Results indicated that the interconnection of same ethnicity alters across different relationship domains is linked to cultural identifications, while the amount of coethnic and host individuals in the network is not. In particular, higher interconnection between Latino friends and colleagues was linked to lower levels of U.S. identification. Conversely, the interconnection of non-Latino friends and colleagues was associated with lower levels of Latino identification. This pattern of results suggests that the relational context for each type of cultural identification works in a subtractive and inverse manner. Further, time spent in the US was linked to both Latino and U.S. cultural identifications, but this relationship was moderated by the level of BII. Specifically, the association between time in the US and strength of both cultural identities was stronger for individuals reporting low levels of BII. Taking the findings from Study 1 as departure point, Study 2 used an agent-based model data simulation approach to explore the dynamic ways in which the content and the structure of an immigrant’s social network might matter over time in predicting three possible identity patterns: coexisting cultural identifications, conflicting cultural identifications, and a mixture of the two. These simulations allowed us to detect network constellations, which lead to identification or disidentification with both cultures. We showed that distinct patterns of social relations do not lead to identity outcomes in a deterministic fashion, but that often many different outcomes are probable

"United in diversity": The interplay of social network characteristics and personality in predicting outgroup attitudes

Diversity in social relations is important for reducing prejudice. Yet, the question of when this occurs remains open. Using a social network approach, we test whether the link between outgroup attitudes and number of intra- and intergroup contacts is moderated by type of relationship (strong vs. weak ties) and personality (openness to experience) while also considering network structure (connections between contacts). In a culturally diverse sample of 122 immigrants residing in Barcelona, positive outgroup attitudes were predicted by several network characteristics: low proportion of intragroup contacts and high proportion of intergroup contacts among strong ties, high ethnic diversity among strong ties, low connectedness among contacts in the country of origin, and high connectedness between coethnic local and host national contacts. Openness to experience moderated these effects. These results affirm the intergroup benefits of having compositionally and structurally diverse networks, and the gain in examining intergroup dynamics at the meso level of analysis

Ethnocultural diversity of immigrants' personal social networks, bicultural identity integration and global identification

There is some evidence that ethnocultural diversity encourages superordinate levels of categorisation, such as feeling identified with people globally. A remaining question is what type of engagement with diversity facilitates this link and why. We use immigrants' personal social network data and examine the link between global identification and ethnocultural diversity among closer relationships (i.e. strong network contacts, such as friendships) and more distant ones (i.e. weak contacts, including neighbours and acquaintances). Furthermore, following exposure to diversity, individuals may internalise more than one culture and differ how they integrate their multiple cultural socialisation into the self (i.e. vary in their degree of bicultural identity integration). We thus test whether relational ethnocultural diversity is linked to a stronger global identification through either cultural blendedness (i.e. combining two cultures) or harmony (i.e. perceiving two cultures as compatible). Relying on a culturally diverse community sample of 216 immigrants residing in Barcelona (53% female, Mage = 31 years, SD = 10.4), we found that ethnocultural diversity among strong (but not weak) contacts was associated with stronger global identification and that this association is mediated by cultural harmony (but not blendedness). These results attest to the link between having ethnoculturally diverse close social relationships and superordinate identification

Survey participation as a function of democratic engagement, trust in institutions, and perceptions of surveys

Objective: With response rates of large-scale surveys having decreased significantly over the years and rebounds seeming unlikely, many studies now examine how response rates vary with methodological design and incentives. This investigation delves into how individual-level factors shape survey participation. Specifically, we examine the influence of individuals’ democratic engagement and their trust in institutions on intent to participate in surveys, both directly and indirectly through their perceptions of surveys. Methods: We collected survey data from a probability sample of adults (N = 1343) in Mannheim, Germany, from November 2019 to March 2020. Structural equation models were estimated to test the hypothesized relationships. Results: The analyses support most, but not all, hypothesized relationships. Democratic engagement bolstered intent to participate, directly as well as indirectly through perceptions of surveys. Institutional trust, on the other hand, only influenced the outcome measure indirectly. Perceptions of surveys had a strong bearing overall effect on intent to participate. Conclusion: The study's results suggest that the response rates and larger issues related to the perceived legitimacy of public opinion and survey research might be intertwined with orientations related to people's civic and political life. The article discusses potential ways survey researchers can counteract distrust in surveys

Who are Leibniz PostDocs and what is it like to work at a Leibniz institute? Report of the first Leibniz PostDoc Survey 2020

Postdoctoral researchers play a critical role in scientific research. This is the case not only for the Leibniz Association but for research worldwide. However, postdoctoral researchers are often overlooked or misrepresented as a homogeneous group of researchers. The principal aim of the Leibniz PostDoc Survey was to understand who Leibniz PostDocs are and to provide some insight into their experiences, interests, and needs. This report summarizes the results of the first Leibniz PostDoc Survey, which was open for submission from July to October 2020. The report includes a summary of the key findings and recommendations as well as a comprehensive description of all results from each survey question

Multiple cultural identifications, personality, and social networks

This dissertation explores how multicultural individuals acculturate, and how their personality traits and cultural identifications relate to the content and the structure of their habitual personal social networks. I integrate social-personality psychology and social network approaches to tackle the dynamic interplay of individual-level psychological variables and meso-level social network measures. First, I study how immigrants and their descendants change their multiple cultural identifications depending on their social interactions with people from different cultures. Second, this thesis examines how social network variables contribute to the understanding of psychological/sociocultural adjustment and bicultural identity integration beyond individuals’ reported acculturation preferences. Lastly, I investigate which social-personality factors predict the degree of interculturality present in individuals’ social networks. The overall results attest to the importance of analyzing actual intercultural relations and going beyond interculturalism self-reports. The way people’s social environments are shaped is linked to their social-psychological makeup.Esta tesis explora cómo los individuos multiculturales gestionan sus procesos de aculturación, y cómo sus rasgos de personalidad e identificaciones culturales se relacionan con el contenido y la estructura de sus redes sociales habituales. Se integran enfoques de la psicología social de la personalidad con el análisis de redes sociales, abordando así la interacción entre variables psicológicas y características de las redes (mesonivel). En primer lugar, se explora cómo las múltiples identificaciones culturales de los inmigrantes y sus descendientes varían dependiendo de su interacción con personas de diferentes culturas. En segundo lugar, se investiga cómo, más allá de las preferencias individuales de aculturación, las redes sociales contribuyen a la comprensión del ajuste psicológico/sociocultural y de los niveles de integración de identidad bicultural. Finalmente, se explora qué factores sociales de personalidad predicen el grado de interculturalidad de las redes. Los resultados avalan la importancia de ir más allá de la autoevaluación de la interculturalidad, mediante el análisis de las relaciones en su contexto. La composición y organización de los entornos sociales de los individuos muestra estar relacionada con sus características psicosociales.Aquesta tesi explora com els individus multiculturals gestionen els seus processos d’aculturació, i com els seus trets de personalitat i identificacions culturals es relacionen amb el contingut i l’estructura de les seves xarxes socials habituals. S’integren enfocaments de la psicologia social de la personalitat amb l’anàlisi de xarxes socials, abordant així la interacció entre variables psicològiques i característiques de les xarxes (mesonivell). En primer lloc, s’explora com les múltiples identificacions culturals dels immigrants i dels seus descendents varien depenent de la seva interacció amb persones de diferents cultures. En segon lloc, s’investiga com, més enllà de les preferències individuals d’aculturació, les xarxes socials contribueixen a la comprensió de l’ajust psicològic/sociocultural i dels nivells d’integració d’identitat bicultural. Finalment, s’explora quins factors socials de personalitat prediuen el grau d’interculturalitat de les xarxes. Els resultats avalen la importància d’anar més enllà de l’autoavaluació de la interculturalitat, mitjançant l’anàlisi de les relacions en el seu context. La composició i organització dels entorns socials dels individus mostra estar relacionada amb les seves característiques psicosocials

Einführung: Soziale Netzwerkperspektiven - Inhalt trifft auf Struktur

Wenn wir versuchen, menschliches Verhalten oder menschliche Überzeugungen zu verstehen, könnten wir entweder versucht sein, diese als das Ergebnis der freien Entscheidung eines Individuums zu betrachten, oder als das Resultat von individuellen Eigenschaften. Jedoch haben Menschen ein Bedürfnis nach sozialem Kontakt (d.h. nach Interaktion mit anderen; Crosier, Webster, & Dillon, 2012). Diese soziale Komponente bietet einen dritten Erklärungsansatz dafür, warum Menschen sich auf eine bestimmte Art und Weise verhalten oder warum sie zu einer bestimmten Überzeugung tendieren. Das heißt, dass ihre verhaltensbezogenen Entscheidungen und Überzeugungen davon abhängen, wie sie mit anderen Menschen in Verbindung stehen. Im Mittelpunkt eines solchen Ansatzes stehen also die sozialen (Netzwerk-)Beziehungen, die Menschen unterhalten. Der zentrale Gedanke dieser Sichtweise ist, dass sich soziale Beziehungen auf unser Verhalten auswirken und unsere Überzeugungen und Ansichten über das Leben prägen, während wir gleichzeitig selektiv entschieden können, mit wem wir Beziehungen eingehen. Eine solche beziehungsorientierte Perspektive könnte nicht nur nützlich sein, um individuelles Verhalten und Überzeugungen zu erklären, sondern auch, um zu erklären, wie Kooperation und Koordination zwischen Menschen, Organisationen oder sogar Nationen zustande kommen. Da Organisationen und Nationen aus Individuen bestehen, können ihre Aktivitäten im Wesentlichen als komplexe Aggregate des individuellen Verhaltens betrachtet werden. Daher kann eine netzwerkanalytische Perspektive nicht nur helfen, das Verhalten von Individuen, sondern auch von Organisationen und Ländern zu erklären. Im Mittelpunkt dieses dritten Erklärungsansatzes steht die Idee, die Welt als soziales Netzwerk zu begreifen. Diese Ausgabe von easy_social_sciences besteht aus vier Beiträgen, die diese Idee aufgreifen und verschiedene Forschungsbereiche aus der Perspektive sozialer Netzwerke beleuchten