Evolution of sociology freshmen into a friendship network

In this paper we both describe and analyze the meeting process and the evolution of a friendship network among sociology freshmen in the Netherlands. We develop a theory that explains how changes in the network structure depend on one or more of four main effects: proximity, visible similarity, invisible similarity, and network opportunity. We formulate expectations with regard to what factors are important at what stages of the friendship development, making a distinction between 'meeting' and 'mating.' To some extent, the results confirm our expectations. The proximity and visible similarity variables determine change in network structure in the early stages, whereas network opportunity is important during all stages. Unfortunately, no significant effects of invisible similarity are found.

[1]  L. Festinger.  Social pressures in informal groups : a study of human factors in housing / by Leon Festinger, Stanley Schachter and Kurt Back , 1950 .

[2]  Theodore Caplow,et al.  Neighborhood Interaction in a Homogeneous Community , 1950 .

[3]  T. Newcomb.  The acquaintance process , 1961 .

[4]  M. Sherif,et al.  Reference Groups: Exploration into Conformity and Deviation of Adolescents , 1964 .

[5]  Accessibility and informal social relationships among American graduate students. , 1966, Sociometry.

[6]  M. Sherif,et al.  Reference groups : exploration into conformity and deviation of adolescents , 1966 .

[7]  井上 俊.  Muzafer Sherif and Carolyn W.Sherif;Reference Groups,Exploration into Conformity and Deviation of Adolescents,1964 , 1966 .

[8]  P. Holland,et al.  A Method for Detecting Structure in Sociometric Data , 1970, American Journal of Sociology.

[9]  Proximity and Social Interaction in Residence Halls. , 1971 .

[10]  I. Altman,et al.  Social penetration: The development of interpersonal relationships , 1973 .

[11]  Maureen T. Hallinan,et al.  The structure of positive sentiment , 1974 .

[12]  Theodore Huston.  Foundations of Interpersonal Attraction , 1974 .

[13]  D. A. Kenny,et al.  The effects of perceived and actual similarity in values and personality in the process of interpersonal attraction , 1974 .

[14]  G. Levinger,et al.  5 – A Three-Level Approach to Attraction: Toward an Understanding of Pair Relatedness , 1974 .

[15]  David A. Chiriboga,et al.  Four stages of life , 1975 .

[16]  C. Berger,et al.  SOME EXPLORATIONS IN INITIAL INTERACTION AND BEYOND: TOWARD A DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION , 1975 .

[17]  P. Holland,et al.  Local Structure in Social Networks , 1976 .

[18]  C. Fischer,et al.  Networks and Places , 1977 .

[19]  M. Hallinan.  The process of friendship formation , 1978 .

[20]  Social satisfaction and friendship formation as a function of floor level in high-rise student housing. , 1978 .

[21]  Carol M. Werner,et al.  Similarity of Activity Preferences among Friends: Those Who Play Together Stay Together. , 1979 .

[22]  L. Verbrugge.  Multiplexity in Adult Friendships , 1979 .

[23]  M. Hammer.  Predictability of social connections over time , 1979 .

[24]  M. Hammer.  Social access and the clustering of personal connections , 1980 .

[25]  G. Levinger,et al.  Journal of Experimental Social Psychology , 1965, Nature.

[26]  S. Feld.  The Focused Organization of Social Ties , 1981, American Journal of Sociology.

[27]  Sex differences in effects of social and value similarity in same-sex friendship. , 1981 .

[28]  Leslie Salzinger.  The ties that bind: The effect of clustering on dyadic relationships , 1982 .

[29]  Friendship Concepts of Young Adults in Two Age Groups , 1983 .

[30]  P. Schmidt,et al.  Limited-Dependent and Qualitative Variables in Econometrics. , 1984 .

[31]  Dietrich Dörner,et al.  Normengeleitetes Verhalten in den Sozialwissenschaften , 1984 .

[32]  R. Hays,et al.  The Development and Maintenance of Friendship , 1984 .

[33]  J. Berg,et al.  Development of friendship between roommates. , 1984 .

[34]  R. Hays,et al.  A longitudinal study of friendship development. , 1985, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[35]  T. J. Berndt,et al.  Children's Perceptions of Friendships as Supportive Relationships. , 1986 .

[36]  S. Duck,et al.  Strategies In Developing Friendships , 1986 .

[37]  V. Derlega,et al.  Friendship and Social Interaction , 1986 .

[38]  R. Hays,et al.  Social network development and functioning during a life transition. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[39]  J. Antrobus,et al.  Social networks of children, adolescents, and college students , 1988 .

[40]  A. Ferligoj.  International Conference on Social Science Methodology , 1989 .

[41]  Martin A. Johnson.  Variables associated with friendship in an adult population , 1989 .

[42]  Maureen T. Hallinan,et al.  The Formation of Intransitive Friendships , 1990 .

[43]  Steven W. Duck,et al.  Some Evident Truths About Conversations in Everyday Relationships All Communications Are Not Created Equal , 1991 .

[44]  S. Duck,et al.  Friends, for life: The psychology of personal relationships , 1991 .

[45]  M L Clark,et al.  Friendship similarity during early adolescence: gender and racial patterns. , 1992, The Journal of psychology.

[46]  Evelien P. H. Zeggelink,et al.  Strangers into friends : the evolution of friendship networks using an individual oriented modeling approach , 1993 .

[47]  Tom A. B. Snijders,et al.  INFLUENCES ON AND FROM THE SEGMENTATION OF NETWORKS - HYPOTHESES AND TESTS , 1994 .

[48]  R. Leenders,et al.  Structure and influence : statistical models for the dynamics of actor attributes, network structure, and their interdependence , 1995 .

[49]  T. Snijders.  Stochastic actor-oriented models for network change , 1996 .

[50]  R. Kapuściński,et al.  A brief history of balance through time , 1996 .

[51]  Duane Buhrmester,et al.  Friendship and Need Fulfillment During Three Phases of Young Adulthood , 1998 .

[52]  S. Değirmencioğlu,et al.  Adolescent Friendship Selection and Termination: The Role of Similarity , 1998 .

[53]  Duncan Cramer.  Close Relationships: The Study of Love and Friendship , 1998 .

[54]  Maureen T. Hallinan,et al.  Tracking and students' friendships , 1998 .

[55]  T. Fararo.  The problem of solidarity , 1998 .

[56]  G. Allan.  Friendship, Sociology and Social Structure , 1998 .

[57]  Gerrit G. van de Bunt,et al.  Friends by choice. An actor-oriented statistical network model for friendship networks through time , 1999 .

[58]  Tom A. B. Snijders,et al.  Friendship Networks Through Time: An Actor-Oriented Dynamic Statistical Network Model , 1999, Comput. Math. Organ. Theory.

[59]  T. Snijders.  The statistical evaluation of social network dynamics , 2001 .

[60]  Siegwart Lindenberg,et al.  Solidarity, its microfoundations and macrodependence , 2002 .

[61]  Mark Huisman,et al.  Statistical Analysis of Longitudinal Network Data With Changing Composition , 2003 .

[62]  T. Snijders,et al.  A multilevel network study of the effects of delinquent behavior on friendship evolution , 2003 .