Question 1

Which social network would we expect to have the MOST heterogeneous composition?

Accepted Answer

Smartphone users encompass a wide range of individuals of different ages, ethnicities, economic backgrounds, etc. Therefore, we would expect this social network to have the most heterogeneous composition compared to the other options provided.

Question 2

Social scientists conducting social network analysis

Accepted Answer

Social network analysis can use both quantitative and qualitative methods depending on the research question, data availability, and theoretical framework. The methods may include surveys, interviews, observations, content analysis, and network visualization. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and researchers should tailor their methods to the study's objectives and context. Social network analysis can study networks of various sizes, from small groups to large organizations or communities. Online data sources are increasingly used, but some networks may not be accessible online or may require additional methods. Therefore, social scientists conducting social network analysis have to be flexible in their methodology and adapt to the specific research challenges.

Question 3

A directed network tie is one in which

Accepted Answer

A directed network tie indicates a relationship where one party sends a tie to another, but it doesn't necessarily mean the other party reciprocates, fitting the description of choice C.

Question 4

A sociologist studies cohesion at a high school,using network density as a measure of cohesion.Accordingly,the sociologist considers

Accepted Answer

Network density is a measure of the proportion of possible connections that are actually realized in a network. This measure reflects how cohesive the network is because it indicates how closely connected its members are to each other. Therefore, the sociologist's consideration of network density as a measure of cohesion suggests that they are focusing on the proportion of connections that actually exist in the high school network.

Question 5

How does the Oracle of Bacon demonstrate Stanley Milgram's 1967 findings?

Accepted Answer

The Oracle of Bacon shows that any two actors in Hollywood are connected through a short chain of mutual film appearances, which supports Milgram's findings on the "six degrees of separation" between any two people in a social network. Milgram's experiment showed that people were able to connect with strangers through just a few intermediate acquaintances, demonstrating the small-world phenomenon in social networks.

Question 6

Dr.Kline studies sexually transmitted diseases.He is generating a social network analysis of people who could possibly be infected by a particular disease.He wants to map nondirected network ties,so he asks people whether

Accepted Answer

Dr. Kline wants to map nondirected network ties, so the question about whether someone has had sex with others in the network will help him identify potential connections between people without implying any directionality in the relationship.

Question 7

Elena studies friendship among young adults.Based on established findings in social network research,she expects to find that attraction and mutual influence are stronger when

Accepted Answer

Strong reciprocity refers to the equal exchange of resources and support between friends, which has been found to increase attraction and mutual influence in social network research. The other answer choices do not have established findings supporting their relationship with stronger attraction and mutual influence in friendships.

Question 8

Stanley Milgram's 1967 study found that people are related through "six degrees of separation." Studying the steps people must take to reach others in their networks is called

Accepted Answer

Stanley Milgram's study found that people are connected through an average of six degrees of separation, and geodesic distance is the term used to describe the steps that people must take to connect with others within their social networks. Therefore, the correct choice is D. Network density and clustering coefficient are related to the structure of social networks, while the Oracle of Bacon is a game that involves linking actors to Kevin Bacon within a certain number of steps. Thus, choices A, B, and C are incorrect.

Question 9

A social network must include both ________ and ________.

Accepted Answer

A social network is made up of social actors, which can be individuals, organizations, or any other entities that are part of the network, and the relations between them. Without either of these components, there would be no social network. The other options may be present in a social network, but they are not as essential as social actors and their relationships.

Question 10

Network density is one way of studying

Accepted Answer

Network density refers to the number of direct connections between nodes in a network. This measure is useful for understanding the level of cohesion within a network, as higher density networks are typically more cohesive. Therefore, the best choice for studying network density is cohesion.

Question 11

Marie plans a social network analysis of a town in Vermont.She plans to study the connections between unemployed persons,employed persons,employers,and businesses.Her adviser encourages her to study

Accepted Answer

All four groups (unemployed persons, employed persons, employers, and businesses) should be included in the social network analysis as they are all considered social actors and can have connections and relationships with each other. Excluding any of these groups could lead to incomplete or biased results.

Question 12

Which of the following represents a dense network,and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following represents a dense...

Question 13

When used as a concept in sociological research,a clique must include

Accepted Answer

The answer of When used as a concept in sociological...

Question 14

Emily studied diffusion within a large multiethnic,multilingual suburb in Wisconsin.Her study confirmed established sociological findings about diffusion.She observed diffusion when people

Accepted Answer

Emily's study confirmed that people shared information most willingly and rapidly within their own ethnic and language groups. This is consistent with the well-established sociological finding of homophily, which suggests that people tend to form connections with others who are similar to them in terms of race, ethnicity, language, and other demographic characteristics.

Question 15

What determines node placement in a social network diagram?

Accepted Answer

Node placement in social network diagrams is determined by the relationships or connections between nodes. Nodes that are linked are placed closer together to visually represent their connection. The number of people symbolized by the node and the postal address of the person represented by the node do not determine node placement. Placement may not be mathematically random as it can influence analysis and insights from the network.

Question 16

Juan conducts a social network analysis of language students at his college.He finds that Spanish language students have strong friendships with Chinese language students,and Spanish language students have strong friendships with French language students,but Chinese language students and French language students are not very connected to each other.Juan concludes that this social network constitutes a(n)

Accepted Answer

An open triad in social network analysis refers to a situation where there are three nodes (in this case, groups of language students) where two of the nodes have a relationship with the third, but there is no direct relationship between those two nodes. Juan's observation fits this description: Spanish students are connected to both Chinese and French students, but the Chinese and French students are not connected to each other.

Question 17

When social network analysts diagram networks,how do they represent nodes?

Accepted Answer

In social network analysis, each circle represents a node, which represents a social actor, such as a person or organization. The connections between the nodes are represented by lines or edges. This is the most common and widely accepted way of representing nodes in social network diagrams.

Question 18

ABC Bowling celebrates friendship and reciprocity among its league bowlers,but the adult bowling leagues have very few social ties to the youth bowling league.There is a ________ between these two groups within the same network.

Accepted Answer

A structural hole refers to a gap or disconnect between different clusters or groups within the same network. In this case, the lack of social ties between the adult bowling leagues and the youth bowling league indicates the presence of a structural hole. Option A, anti-reciprocity, is not an appropriate term for this situation as there is no indication of hostility or lack of giving back among the groups. Option B, node, refers to a central point or hub within a network, which does not fully capture the situation described. Option D, negative equivalence, refers to a situation where two nodes or groups exist in opposition or conflict with one another, which is not the case here.

Question 19

Network size refers to

Accepted Answer

Network size is specifically referring to the number of social actors in the network. It is not about the geographic scope or the types of social actors included, although these factors may influence the network size indirectly. The number of ties a given actor has is more accurately referred to as degree centrality.

Question 20

How do ties relate to nodes?

Accepted Answer

Ties are the connections or links that join nodes together in a social network. Therefore, ties relate to nodes as they connect and help form the social network. Choice A is incorrect because ties and nodes are not the same thing. Choice B is incorrect because both ties and nodes can be either human or institutional social actors. Choice D is incorrect because there is no inherent positivity or negativity associated with ties or nodes.

Quiz 13: Social Network Analysis