Cognitive evaluation of the hierarchical approach for measuring ego-centered social networks

Jana Nadoh (Author), Petra Podreberšek (Author), Valentina Hlebec (Author)

Abstract

This paper explores how respondents understand and interpret Antonucci's hierarchical approach (Antonucci, 1986) for measuring egocentered social networks. Cognitive in-depth probes were used to assess how respondents (egos)differentiated among people (alters) that are named in hierarchical circles and what criteria they used to select people from their global social network. In Antonucci's approach emotional criteria are used for selecting alters from the respondentćs global network and placing them into three hierarchical circles that are graphically presented to the respondent. The respondent (ego) is at the center of the three circles. The more central the circle, the closer and more important are the people (alters) within it. The technique begins by asking the individual to look at the diagram of three concentric circles, with a smaller circle in the center containing the word 'You'. Respondents are told that the three circles should be thought of as including people who are important in your life right now but who are not necessarily equally close. Individuals in the inner circle are described as those people to whom you feel so close that it is hard to imagine life withoutthem. The middle circle is described as people to whom you may not feel quite that close but who are still important to you. And finally, outer-circle members are people whom you haven't already mentioned but who are close enough and important enough in your life that they should be placed in your personal network. (Antonucci, 1986). This procedure is often used in research on ego-centered support networks. Only one "name generator" is used for data collection, a technique which is more convenient for respondents and cheaper for the researcher.

Keywords

Merjenje;Analiza omrežij;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2004
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
Publisher:	Fakulteta za družbene vede
UDC:	303
COBISS:	23284829
ISSN:	1854-0023
Views:	972
Downloads:	210
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Unknown
Secondary keywords:	Measurement;Network analysis;
URN:	URN:NBN:SI
Type (COBISS):	Not categorized
Pages:	str. 379-393
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ1
Issue:	ǂšt. ǂ2
Chronology:	2004
Keywords (UDC):	social sciences;družbene vede;methods of the social sciences;metode družbenih ved;
ID:	38294