Friendship Networks Research Articles

Urdu adaptation and validation of Multidimensional Digital Stressor Scale

Maintaining a large network of Facebook friends, feeling envious of their well-documented and luxurious lives, the demands of responding to text messages, the addictive allure of photos of amazing crafts on Pinterest, and urgency to stay up to date with status updates on social media, can all cause digital stress. This study aimed to adapt and validate Multidimensional Digital Stress Scale (MDSS) in Urdu language following International Test Commission (ITC) guidelines. The sample comprised n = 450 adolescents with age range of 18–29 years. The scale comprised of 24 items with five sub-scales. The scale factor structure, content validity, face validity, internal consistency were examined through SPSS whereas scale Confirmatory factor analysis was done using AMOS(Hayes). MDSS has a Cronbach’s alpha value 0.89. CFA indicated that model fitted well (RMSEA = .056, CFI-.92). Results indicate a positive correlation between loneliness, social anxiety with the sub-scale of MDSS, whereas significant negative correlation with psychological well-being. A screening tool in indigenous expression that can help to screen digital stress among people who use digital media for recreational as well as work related purposes, like social media influencers and Youtubers.

What about Your Friends? Friendship Networks and Mental Health in Critical Consciousness

What about Your Friends? Friendship Networks and Mental Health in Critical Consciousness

The art of connectivity – using the brain as a community art project

We have been using the brain, and all the marvellous systems, cells and structures within it, as the basis of a community outreach project using art to engage children and young people in science. Through this, we aim to show that communication within our brains and bodies, between our own close networks of friends and families, and across disparate groups the world over, depends upon the same principles of connectivity, diversity and feedback. Ultimately, we will use the project as a springboard to engage more community organizations, hospitals and schools around the UK and beyond to add to our network of budding scientist-artists.

Negotiating situational abstinence and moderation: a study of regular and heavy-drinking young Nigerians.

Studies that have examined young people's drinking behaviour, particularly how they abstain from alcohol or drink lightly and their motivations, have focused on Western contexts. Currently, studies on how andwhy young Africans abstain from alcohol or drink moderately are lacking. Therefore, there is a need to examine young people's drinking behaviours/practices on the continent to facilitate health promotion interventions. This study, which uses qualitative data elicited from 53 participants, explores how young Nigerian men and women who consume alcohol and drink heavily enact and negotiate abstinence and moderate drinking and the factors that motivate their choices. Some participants constructed situational abstinence, while others participated in temporary light drinking in their friendship networks, but these attracted some consequences. Peers pressured them, but some deployed the ability to offer 'valid' explanations and express self-determination and agency to ward off such pressures and negotiate situational abstinence or moderate drinking. Additionally, the fear of public embarrassment, negative publicity on social media due to intoxication and parental influences motivated some participants' occasional sobriety. Others relied on previous personal or friends' negative experiences of drunkenness or the consequences of heavy drinking represented in movies and books to construct occasional light drinking. The findings demonstrated how enacting and rejecting particular forms of masculinity and embodied gendered drinking practices, more generally, in some friendship groups, facilitated situational abstinence and moderation. Policymakers should partner with young people to design interventions that encourage abstinence or moderation and mitigate the current drinking practices in Nigeria, which will enhance health promotion.

Analizando el vínculo entre el bienestar subjetivo y las redes sociales físicas en Ecuador: evidencia empírica usando datos transversales

Introduction: Social networks, as an important dimension of social capital, contribute positively to people’s subjective well-being. By having a support network of friends, family or neighbors in difficult moments of life, people can experience greater happiness. Objective: The objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between physical social networks and the subjective wellbeing of heads of household in Ecuador. Methodology: Data from the National Survey of Employment, Unemployment and Underemployment (ENEMDU) of Ecuador and econometric techniques such as the ordered probit model and quantile regression were used to explore the existing heterogeneity along the distribution of the well-being variable. Results: The results reveal that there is a positive and heterogeneous relationship between the variables studied, with the magnitude of the correlation being greater for unhappy heads of household. That is, physical social networks improve well-being in the most unhappy individuals. Conclusions: Policy implications highlight that social and recreational centers should be implemented and strengthened, and the quality of services and physical spaces where physical social networks are built should be improved. For example, sports spaces, cultural events and collective activities should be promoted where people can build social networks that lead to social cohesion and promote well-being

Peer effect and funding success: Analyzing friendship networks in online credit markets

The challenge of limited information in online credit markets is well-recognized. This study examines the peer effect in microloan transactions using data from a leading Chinese lending platform. Results show that the likelihood of a borrower's funding success is higher when a higher proportion of online friends succeed. Both borrowers’ network centrality and digital footprints strengthen this effect, suggesting two mechanisms: social learning and informational complementarity. The peer effect is stronger among borrowers with larger networks, more loan experience, better repayment, and older age. The research provides new insights to mitigate information asymmetry in financial markets and guide investment decisions.

The gendered maths confidence gap, social influence and social integration

ABSTRACT While there is little discernible difference between girls and boys in maths competence during secondary education, on average, girls have lower confidence in their maths skills. Over time, this difference leads to gendered choices of education and occupation. Research explaining the maths confidence gap focusses on psychological factors and socialisation into stereotypical gender roles. However, how the peer context shapes the self-perception of competence and how this self-image affects social integration and popularity of girls and boys is barely understood. We analyse friendship networks and perceptions of maths confidence in Sweden and Germany to answer these questions using the CILS4EU dataset (N = 7,472) and multi-level, longitudinal network models. We find that maths confidence of girls accurately follows their maths grades and social relations have little impact on girls’ self-evaluation. Boys tend to overestimate their ability and are more susceptible to peer processes; social comparison processes inform boys’ maths confidence. This suggests that math ability is important for boys but socially irrelevant for girls. Concerning friendship choices, we find that boys and girls with higher maths confidence are often more integrated. Thus, we do not find social pressure on girls to adhere to gendered math-stereotypes – the opposite is the case.

The cycle of violence: effects of violence experience, behavior, and attitudes on adolescents’ peer rejection networks

Previous research on adolescent peer networks has mainly focused on friendship networks and their association with violence, but very limited research is available on peer rejection networks. This lack of knowledge hinders the effectiveness of preventing peer rejection and its negative effects. Based on the theory of the cycle of violence, the present study examines the extent to which parental physical abuse experiences, aggressive behavior toward peers and acceptance of violence are related to peer rejection networks at school. Social network analysis with a stochastic actor-oriented model of longitudinal data collected from high school students (Wave 1, n = 620; Wave 2, n = 590) confirms that adolescents who frequently use aggression toward their peers are more likely to be rejected, especially if those adolescents have experienced abuse. Similarly, peers are more likely to reject adolescents with high levels of accepting violence. The results also show that aggression toward peers generally tends to decrease over time but not for adolescents who reject a larger number of students. For students who reject many peers, aggression frequency increases. From the perspective of resilience theory, peer rejection, when combined with aggression toward peers and acceptance of violence, particularly in female adolescents, creates a significant risk factor for socio-emotional development. Therefore, tackling violence attitudes, experiences and behavior in the school environment and at home is crucial in overcoming the cycle of violence.

Three-layered location recommendation algorithm using spectral clustering

Users utilize Location-Based Social Networks (LBSNs) to check into diverse venues and share their experiences through ratings and comments. However, these platforms typically feature a considerably larger number of locations than users, resulting in a challenge known as insufficient historical data or user-location matrix sparsity. This sparsity arises because not all users can check into all available locations on a given LBSN, such as Yelp. To address this challenge, this paper proposes combining Spectral Clustering with a three-layered location recommendation model to develop a recommender system named LSC, applied to Yelp datasets. LSC leverages various information, including users’ check-in data, demographics, location demographics, and users’ friendship network data, to train the recommender system and generate recommendations. Evaluation of LSC’s performance utilizes the Yelp dataset and several comparison metrics, such as accuracy, RMSE, and F1-score. The results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm delivers reliable and significant performance improvements across various evaluation metrics compared to competing algorithms.

Quality education for all in an ideas-informed society: exploring idea-engagement amongst friendship networks and how education can prevent idea “echo-chambers”

Purpose The purpose of this study is to begine to address this question. The concept of the ideas-informed society (IIS) represents a desired situation in which citizens actively and critically engage with new ideas, developments and claims to truth. Its successful actualisation is dependent on high-quality educational opportunity at all stages of the life course. Social networks represent our connections to one another. Features of our social networks impact on how we engage with ideas. For instance, homophily dictates that individuals form networks with others seen as being like themselves. A key question, however, is whether there are forms of homophily that, by the nature of those they bring together, promote ideas engagement by individuals and the implications of consequent networks for the IIS? Design/methodology/approach This study re-analysed survey data from 1,000 voting-age citizens in England. Focusing on friendship networks, the authors used a structural equation model approach to explore the existence and potency of homophilic friendship networks; whether such networks drive respondents’ ideas-engagement with friends; and whether ideas discussions with friends impacts on the importance respondents place on staying up to date. Findings Political homophily has the strongest influence on whether people discuss new ideas with their friends (ES = 0.326, p < 0.01). In turn, ideas discussion has a significant impact on the extent to which people value engaging with ideas (ES = −0.345, p < 0.01). Originality/value The authors consider whether ideas-related discussion within politically homophilous networks is problematic for the IIS and what is required from education systems if we are to build individuals’ capacity to engage with ideas while escaping echo chambers.

Examining Teachers' Professional Relationships, Friendship, and Trust Networks via Social Network Analysis

In this study, Social Network Analysis method was used to determine the professional relationships, friendships and trust networks that teachers established with their colleagues. The study group of the research consists of 35 teachers working in a public secondary education institution in Aydın province. A three-question structured interview form developed by the researchers was used to determine teachers' social networks. Data analysis was carried out through the UCINET 6.0 program. When the findings regarding the positions of teachers in the professional relationship network, friendship network and trust network were examined, it was determined that the network structure with the highest number of connections was the friendship network (ties = 97), followed by the professional relationship (ties = 95) and the trust network (ties = 66). In all social networks, teachers with mathematics, guidance, literature and biology branches were found to be at the center of the network, acting as a bridge between other actors and providing information and resource flow. According to the findings, it was determined that the network with the highest density (dens. = 0.082), bilateral (dia. = 0.198) and triad (triad = 0.330) reciprocity rate was the friendship network. This study, which examines the professional relationships, friendships and trust networks that teachers establish with their colleagues, is thought to be important in revealing the relationships between teachers and analyzing the current situation.

Investigating preservice teachers’ attitudes toward lesbian, gay, and bisexual students in Luxembourg

AbstractLesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students face victimization in multiple contexts, including the educational context. Here, teachers can serve as an important resource for LGB students. However, teachers who are prejudiced against students from sexual minorities might not be able to fulfill this role. Accordingly, it is important to find out more about teachers' attitudes and their correlates, as such information can provide starting points for sensitization interventions in teacher education programs, which have the potential to improve the situation of LGB students in the school setting. In the present preregistered questionnaire study, we investigated the attitudes of 138 preservice teachers from the University of Luxembourg toward LGB students and tried to identify predictors of teachers’ attitudes. Results suggested that Luxembourgish preservice teachers hold mostly positive attitudes toward LGB students. Using correlation and multiple regression analyses, we identified the frequency of participants’ contact with LGB people in family or friend networks, hypergendering tendencies, sexual orientation, and religiosity as reliable predictors of attitudes toward LGB students. Age, gender, and right-wing conservatism did not reliably predict preservice teachers’ attitudes in the regression models. Our findings thus offer support for intergroup contact theory and have implications for teacher education in Luxembourg.

Hierarchical Bayesian adaptive lasso methods on exponential random graph models

The analysis of network data has become an increasingly prominent and demanding field across multiple research fields including data science, health, and social sciences, requiring the development of robust models and efficient computational methods. One well-established and widely employed modeling approach for network data is the Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM). Despite its popularity, there is a recognized necessity for further advancements to enhance its flexibility and variable selection capabilities. To address this need, we propose a novel hierarchical Bayesian adaptive lasso model (BALERGM), which builds upon the foundations of the ERGM. The BALERGM leverages the strengths of the ERGM and incorporates the flexible adaptive lasso technique, thereby facilitating effective variable selection and tackling the inherent challenges posed by high-dimensional network data. The model improvements have been assessed through the analysis of simulated data, as well as two authentic datasets. These datasets encompassed friendship networks and a respondent-driven sampling dataset on active and healthy lifestyle awareness programs.

Understanding the nature and impact of sexual violence and abuse in the lives of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender individuals and couples

This article examines the nature of sexual violence in the lives and relationships of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender individuals and couples. Despite the concerns regarding disclosure, figures suggest a higher incidence of sexual abuse for gender and sexual minorities than for the general population. This abuse encom-passes both hate crimes as well as abuse within intimate partner relationships and, for those who are transgender, there is a heightened incidence of sexual violence. Attention has also been focused on the damaging effects of sexual assault on the health and well-being of its victims, including mental health concerns, self-destruc-tive behaviours, and attempted suicide. Several case scenarios are used to high-light the existence of discrimination, rejection, and abuse (including sexual abuse) within friendship networks and intimate partner relationships for those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans. This article concludes with an examination of clinical considerations and implications for practitioners in working with difference and attending to implicit bias.

Cross-border mobility in the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion: impact of COVID-19 border restrictions on everyday activities and visiting social network members.

Cross-border mobility (CBM) to visit social network members or for everyday activities is an important part of daily life for citizens in border regions, including the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion (EMR: neighboring regions from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany). We assessed changes in CBM during the COVID-19 pandemic and how participants experienced border restrictions. Impact of COVID-19 on the EMR' is a longitudinal study using comparative cross-border data collection. In 2021, a random sample of the EMR-population was invited for participation in online surveys to assess current and pre-pandemic CBM. Changes in CBM, experience of border restrictions, and associated factors were analyzed using multinomial and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Pre-pandemic, 82% of all 3,543 participants reported any CBM: 31% for social contacts and 79% for everyday activities. Among these, 26% decreased social CBM and 35% decreased CBM for everyday activities by autumn 2021. Negative experience of border restrictions was reported by 45% of participants with pre-pandemic CBM, and was higher (p < 0.05) in Dutch participants (compared to Belgian; aOR= 1.4), cross-border [work] commuters (aOR= 2.2), participants with cross-border social networks of friends, family or acquaintances (aOR= 1.3), and those finding the measures 'limit group size' (aOR= 1.5) and 'minimalize travel' (aOR= 2.0) difficult to adhere to and finding 'minimalize travel' (aOR= 1.6) useless. CBM for social contacts and everyday activities was substantial in EMR-citizens, but decreased during the pandemic. Border restrictions were valued as negative by a considerable portion of EMR-citizens, especially when having family or friends across the border. When designing future pandemic control strategies, policy makers should account for the negative impact of CBM restrictions on their citizens.

Network Position Affects Social Status in Early Adolescence

ABSTRACT Does position in the friendship network affect social status in early adolescence? Previous research shows that friendship relations are not equivalent to popularity hierarchies, but favorable positions in the friendship network should allow students to gain status. We use four waves of longitudinal network data and dynamic panel models with fixed effects to estimate the impact of network position on social status. Degree centrality and brokerage opportunity both exert large impacts on status, even compared against the effect of prior status. The results suggest future research on friendship across social identities, as well as network structure and hierarchy in adolescent social systems.

The Impact of Gadgets on the Social and Emotional Development of Early Childhood

This study was conducted to describe the impact of gadgets on early childhood socio-emotional development. The method used in this research is literature methodology. With a qualitative approach. From the results of this study, it is found that gadgets can have positive and negative impacts on the socio-emotional development of early childhood. The positive impacts include: increasing children's imagination and creativity, increasing children's intelligence and cognitive abilities, helping children learn and understand the surrounding environment, increasing children's self-confidence, expanding children's friendship networks. While the negative impacts include: increasing the risk of gadget addiction, reducing children's social interaction with peers, disrupting children's emotional and moral development, increasing the risk of health problems, such as obesity, sleep disorders, and visual impairment.

Communicate or not: Exploring the different effects of instrumental and expressive networks on thriving at work

Abstract Thriving at work is closely related to the way employees are embedded in their social contexts, such as the structure of their communication relations with coworkers. In previous research, communication relations have been found to negatively relate to thriving at work. However, social network theory suggests that communication relations are beneficial in obtaining resources in the workplace, which might increase thriving at work. To reconcile the seemingly conflicting mechanisms, we draw on social network theory to unpack the mechanisms underlying communication relations by considering the instrumental and expressive roles. Using a structural equation model, we investigate the indirect effects of communication networks on thriving at work via advice-seeking networks (instrumental) and friendship networks (expressive). Our findings indicate communication relations are negatively related to thriving at work via advice-seeking relations, but are positively related to thriving at work via friendship relations.

Destabilizing segregation in friendship networks with farsighted agents

We consider a model of friendship network formation based on de Marti and Zenou (2017) where individuals belong to two different communities and costs of forming links depend on community memberships. Once there are myopic and farsighted individuals in both communities, many inefficient friendship networks such as segregation, partial integration or partial assimilation become destabilized. In the case of low intra-community costs, either (for high inter-community costs) the network where the smaller community ends up being assimilated into the dominant community or (for low inter-community costs) the network where both communities are fully integrated is both stable and strongly efficient. In the case of intermediate intra-community costs, star networks with a myopic individual in the center are both stable and strongly efficient.

COVID-19 restrictions promoted the newly occurring loneliness in older people - a prospective study in a memory clinic population.

A high burden and many negative outcomes for older people were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation and loneliness are prevalent health problems impacting well-being and quality of life and may have increased due to pandemic-related restrictions. Methods: This study investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness in people visiting a mem40ory clinic between March 2020 and September 2022. We conducted a prospective, single-center, questionnaire-based observational follow-up study to assess potential predictors of newly occurring, pandemic-related loneliness. Next to a newly developed COVID-19 questionnaire, a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory and the Geriatric Depression Scale were used. In total 426 people (mean age: 76.48 years, 12.9% cognitively intact, 33.1% diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment, 49.8% diagnosed with dementia, and 4.2% diagnosed with depression) completed the COVID-19 questionnaire at baseline and 166 at follow-up. Newly occurring loneliness was indicated by 22.3% of baseline participants and by 24.1% of follow-up participants. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that living alone (OR 5.452) and having less contact with friends (OR 2.771) were most predictive of the occurrence of loneliness. The use of digital communication media as an alternative strategy for social interaction was lowest in dementia patients (6-13%). In conclusion, personal contacts and a close friendship network appear to be more decisive to prevent loneliness in older people than does the use of digital communication media. However, promoting an intensified use of digital communication media may be useful to counteract loneliness, especially in dementia patients.