Abstract
Social network size is a key feature when we explore the constructions of human social networks. Despite the disparate understanding of individuals’ social networks, researchers have reached a consensus that human’s social networks are hierarchically organized with different layers, which represent emotional bonds and interaction frequency. Social brain hypothesis emphasizes the significance of complex and demanding social interaction environments and assumes that the cognitive constraints may have an impact on the social network size. This paper reviews neuroimaging studies on social networks that explored the connection between individuals’ social network size and neural mechanisms and finds that Social Network Index (SNI) and Social Network Questionnaires (SNQs) are the mostly-adopted measurements of one’s social network size. The two assessments have subtle difference in essence as they measure the different sublayers of one’s social network. The former measures the relatively outer sub-layer of one’s stable social relationship, similar to the sympathy group, while the latter assesses the innermost layer—the core of one’s social network, often referred to as support clique. This subtle difference is also corroborated by neuroimaging studies, as SNI-measured social network size is largely correlated with the amygdala, while SNQ-assessed social network size is closely related to both the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex. The two brain regions respond to disparate degrees of social closeness, respectively. Finally, it proposes a careful choice among the measurements for specific purposes and some new approaches to assess individuals’ social network size.
Highlights
Exploration of the features and constructions of human’s social networks has a long history in both the sociological and social anthropological research fields (Lev-Ari, 2018)
Throughout studies on the connection between individuals’ social network size and brain mechanisms, the seemingly disparate findings can be pulled together to corroborate the subtle difference among social network size measurements
The above-mentioned studies show that individuals with larger social networks have more gray matters and better function in brain regions implicated in adaptive social behaviors
Summary
Exploration of the features and constructions of human’s social networks has a long history in both the sociological and social anthropological research fields (Lev-Ari, 2018). In contrast to the traditional ecological approaches, the recent attempt to explain the evolution of sociality in primates, known as social brain hypothesis emphasizes the significance of complex social. Social Network Size and Brain Regions environments in which primates live and assumes that the cognitive constraints may have an impact on social grouping patterns (Liu et al, 2018). Living in a social group presents its own challenges. Maintaining a stable social group is quite cognitively demanding (Dunbar, 2012). Primate brain evolution was driven by the need to acquire the competence to manage complex social relationships effectively (Dunbar and Shultz, 2007; Liu et al, 2018)
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