Comparing social networks: size, density, and local structure

Abstract

This paper demonstrates limitations in usefulness of the triad census for studying similarities among local structural properties of social networks. A triad census succinctly summarizes the local structure of a network using the frequencies of sixteen isomorphism classes of triads (sub-graphs of three nodes). The empirical base for this study is a collection of 51 social networks measuring different relational contents (friendship, advice, agonistic encounters, victories in fights, dominance relations, and so on) among a variety of species (humans, chimpanzees, hyenas, monkeys, ponies, cows, and a number of bird species). Results show that, in aggregate, similarities among triad censuses of these empirical networks are largely explained by nodal and dyadic properties - the density of the network and distributions of mutual, asymmetric, and null dyads. These results remind us that the range of possible network-level properties is highly constrained by the size and density of the network and caution should be taken in interpreting higher order structural properties when they are largely explained by local network features.

Keywords

Družbena omrežja;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2006
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UL FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
Publisher:	Fakulteta za družbene vede
UDC:	303
COBISS:	25332317
ISSN:	1854-0023
Views:	232
Downloads:	47
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Unknown
Secondary keywords:	Social networks;
URN:	URN:NBN:SI
Type (COBISS):	Not categorized
Pages:	str. 185-216
Volume:	ǂVol. ǂ3
Issue:	ǂno. ǂ2
Chronology:	2006
Keywords (UDC):	social sciences;družbene vede;methods of the social sciences;metode družbenih ved;
ID:	40641