Using Network Analysis to Understand Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior in Developmental Psychology: A Systematic Review

• In Event: 3-100 - Peer Network Dynamics and Child Development: Appraising the Evidence and Charting New Directions

Integrative Statement

Social relationships are critical for understanding the development of externalizing and internalizing behavior in childhood and adolescence (e.g., Gifford-Smith & Brownell, 2003; Veenstra et al., 2013). Whole network analysis allows developmental psychologists to assess the structure of these relationships between a set of individuals (e.g., children) in a particular setting (e.g., classroom) while ego network analysis allows developmental psychologists to assess the more localized structure of these relationships around a focal individual. Network analysis has been used to characterize children’s social relationships since the 1930s (e.g., Moreno, 1934). However, the recent expansion of network methods has led to the rapid growth of network analysis in the field of developmental psychology (see Figure 1). This presentation will highlight results from a systematic review of 185 empirical articles using network analysis in developmental psychology journals. I will synthesize the substantive literature linking social networks to the development of externalizing and internalizing behavior.
The empirical articles included in this review were drawn from a Google Scholar literature search of 25 journals indexed in the Incites Journal Citation Reports “Psychology, Developmental” category that had a journal impact factor over 2 in 2016 (see Figure 2). Each journal was independently searched for articles that contain the phrase “social network” and any of a set of related key words that are common in papers using network analysis. The resulting 727 articles were screened to determine whether they included an (1) empirical study that involved (2) network data & analyses on (3) children or youth ages 0-18 years old or adults who interact with children or youth (e.g., teachers/parents). Application of these inclusion criteria resulted in a final sample of 185 articles (90.8% included whole network analysis and 9.2% included ego network analysis).
The majority of articles in the sample (65.4%) included measures of externalizing behavior (e.g., aggression, bullying, delinquency, substance use) and a smaller subset (18.9%) included measures of internalizing behavior (e.g., depressive symptoms, social withdrawal). The presentation will outline four key approaches to assessing associations between peer networks and children’s and adolescents’ externalizing or internalizing behavior. First, studies have used longitudinal network models (e.g., stochastic actor-oriented models) to disentangle peer selection and influence processes in these behaviors (see Veenstra et al., 2013). Second, studies have examined how individuals’ network positions (e.g., centrality, proximity prestige) are related to these behaviors (e.g., Andrews et al., 2017; Kornienko et al., 2016). Third, studies have used clique identification methods to identify peer groups in classrooms, grades, or schools and to explore the role of peer group behavioral norms in these behaviors (e.g., Birkett & Espelage, 2015; Chung-Hall & Chen, 2010). Finally, a few studies have examined how features of the whole network structure (e.g., density) in a classroom, grade, or school are related to these behaviors (e.g., Vogel et al., 2015). In addition to outlining these approaches, the presentation will conclude with promising new directions (e.g., multiplex and cross-behavior network analyses) and common methodological challenges (e.g., low response rates; fixed choice designs) in applying network analysis in developmental psychology.

Author

• Jennifer Watling Neal, Michigan State University
  Presenting Author