The Meaning of a Close Tie: Social Network Name Generators and Conceptions of Closeness

• In Event: 246 - Regular Session. Methods for Social Network Analysis

Abstract

Many social network surveys employ the idea of ‘closeness’ to generate ego-network data. Despite ample investigation into other network name generators and substantial theoretical reliance on closeness for determining network properties like strong and weak ties, researchers have rarely considered how respondents conceptualize closeness or how these conceptions could shape reported networks. We investigate respondents’ interpretations of closeness in name generator prompts through in-depth cognitive interviews with a sample of young adults (N=32). These interviews elicit rich data by respondents detailing how they choose ‘close’ alters in a think-aloud process, then rating the importance of specific closeness dimensions adapted from social-psychological scales. We provide a significant contribution by identifying a prevalent conception of closeness not included in established scales: shared past experience. Further qualitative and factor analytic results describe underlying differences in conceptions of closeness. Additionally, preliminary analyses show correlations between respondent gender and patterns in determining closeness. We suggest these separate conceptions of closeness might lead groups of respondents to systematically name different types of alters in response to the same generator. Observed differences in networks, such as the proportion of friends versus kin, older versus newer contacts, may stem from different conceptions of closeness rather than actual differences in social networks.

Authors

• Molly Copeland, Duke University

• Joshua R Bruce, Duke University

• Maria Cristina Ramos Flor, Duke University