50 Matching Annotations
  1. Nov 2018
    1. The results of the study revealed that RBI was associated with more significantly diverse friend choices when compared to control classrooms. 

      Good connection. I just wish there was more detail regarding the intervention so that the nuances could be discussed in detail.

    2. The results of this study revealed how networks changed and evolved over time.  The study also revealed that the application of SNA to team cohesion allows researchers to examine a team network at the individual level to determine the role that they play on the team.

      There is so much potential in using SNA. In healthcare, organizational learning involves interdependent relationships and this would be a good use of SNA as well.

    1. In this case, the use of SNA provided an empirical way to derive groups of students, while also providing the footing to assess a dynamic multilevel model that could pick out the particular attributes between individuals and group level variance in terms of hope and well-being.

      Very interesting point. Hope being increased within the group leading greater well-being.

    2. That said, they found network density to decline over time, meaning adolescents dont just nominate anyone as their friend, and a positive reciprocity parameter, whereby they tend to reciprocate friendship nominations (dyad nominations). Therefore, they tended to nominate each other in friend dyads, keep the network closed, and form peer group structures in friendship networks. In terms of other attributes, they found that those with high levels of effortful behavior and GPAs were more often nominated.

      Good point Morgan. The attractiveness of the other plays a factor in being selected as a potential friend.

    1. They found that overweight girls were less likely to be nominated as a friend, even though overweight students nominated more friends.

      It is sad but true. Overweight people face bias against them sometimes.

    2. She found that although there is greater diversity in dispersed communities, these communities are not as close as clustered communities, which she posits may influence their willingness to reach out for job connections as women in dispersed communities were less likely to reach out to neighbors than those in clustered communities. 

      Good insight Ashlee. It makes sense, If are more dispersed, it may pose more of an obstacle to reach out. People will still reach out and leverage these connections after they overcome this hurdle I think.

    1. Authors found that a randomized public middle school intervention can disrupt the formation of deviation peer groups and diminish levels of adolescent deviance five years later.

      Great insight Courtney. It provides validation for certain types of interventions

    2. Network density was higher for more superficial relationships, such as knowing a person by name

      That makes sense. It is easier to make superficial connections than more meaningful connections.

    1. They found that there was a significantly greater occurrence of gamblers in the networks of pathological gambler participants compared to those of a non-pathological gambler’s network.

      This finding seems reasonable as well. People like homophily and associating with other pathological gamblers fills this need.

    2. The study found significant differences in drinking frequencies between the overall alcohol use networks among the participants

      Very interesting finding. It makes sense, people are following their preferences in addition to their interaction with the network.

    1. defending was likely to occur when the victim and defender had the same friends.

      Social pressure at it's best.

    2. he results indicated that victimized students were likely to be defended by students who they perceive as friends or who perceive them as friends.

      It's good too see people sticking up for others. Especially when it can do so much good.

    1. Study results did not support the researchers first hypothesis. According to the data, density was not linked to perceived cohesion. However size had a small negative effect on perceived cohesion, which Tulin et. al believe suggests that people may perceive smaller groups as being more cohesive.

      Their results makes sense. Just because there are a lot of people next to you does not equal meaningful interaction with them leading to cohesion.

    2. Researchers Tulin et. al conducted a study with aims to investigate whether structural properties (group size and density) can predict perceived cohesion in small social groups.

      Interesting research question.

    1. They took the traditional method of creating an SNA graph using k-cores as categorical colors and placed them on the map.

      Great use of available resources.

    2. The research question asked if an association existed between poultry trade network characteristics in southern China and HPAIV infection status by the occurrence of poultry outbreaks.

      Good clear layout of the research question.

    1. The k-core did indeed enhance the disease effects, as the entire k-core was ‘‘lost’’ in the left hemisphere of AD subjects.

      In the paper I selected that was an important structural core.

    2. K-core as the structural backbone of the network.

      This is similar to what they used in my blog as well. Interesting how we picked similar topics

    1. By and large, Sijtsema and colleagues  found that the density of the network decreased over time, suggesting that students made fewer nominations of friends as they progressed through middle school.  Figure 2 demonstrates how this phenomenon occurred across 7 of the 8 different networks.  From this finding, they concluded that “adolescents were less inclined to just nominate classmates as friends. Instead they favored friendships that were mutual….” This contributed to the decrease in density of the network, but didnt necessarily suggest that adolescents had lost friendships between time point 1 and time point 3.

      It makes sense. I think younger children may find it easier to nominate friends because their definition of friend has yet to be further refined.

    2. 1. The development of friendship networks in adolescence 2. How friendship selection may be predicted by aggression?

      Great job in clearly laying out what they sought to explore Ashlee.

    1. Ultimately, this form of analysis, namely k-core, can provide researchers with a metric to determine groups of centrally connected relations in social networks. This further aids researchers in seeing who is important, integral to the network, and important to collectively speak about and examine.

      It makes so much sense to use a quantitative method to analyze extant research. Thanks for providing another layer of how k-cores can be used.

    2. used k-core to help explain the spatial structure of creativity research over a ten year period between 1992 and 2011.

      That is really interesting Morgan. It provides context for the application of SNA in novel ways.

    1. weighed K-core decomposition method was the most accurate in identifying the most influential spreaders in the network

      Now that I know that a weighed k-core decomposition can be effective in identifying influential information spreaders in a network, I will keep this in mind for my toolbox.

    2. link-weighing method based on interactions among individuals.

      Very interesting. It is good to see people attempting to expand the field of social network analysis.

    1. these organizations to conclude that this funding was successful in its goal to provide better services for transition-aged youth.

      Great job in describing the study. You logic in explaining is very clear.

    1. Networks and social platforms are ground zero

      I really like how you used the term ground zero. It has so much potential and serves as a testing ground for the propagation of thoughts and ideas.

    2. depends on how power gained from network systems is distributed and used.

      Good point. Hyperconnectivity has to be used in an appropriate to increase benefits.

    1. it also takes away from in person relationships.

      I agree. You have to police your behavior towards anything that can become too consuming.

    2. This is a good image that shows how public opinion can be influenced by media.

      I really like your image. It shows the mostly one way communication from the media to perception. If only there were ways to have an arrow going the opposite direction with greater significance.

    1. I believe that any movement towards giving people voice has the potential to produce good.

      Agreed. It will take vigilance to ensure that people are not able to exert special interests in the public sphere, but I think decentralization helps with this.

    2. I agree with Castells that these changes will improve the lives of various people.

      I totally agree with you Ashlee. With the simple fact that people can generate and disseminate knowledge, having the truth out there increases the probability of more people knowing the truth.

  2. Oct 2018
    1. online communication and social media allow us to transcend space and time because we can instantaneously connect with anyone at virtually any time across the globe. T

      I really like how online communities are sometimes less status based because an internet user can remain anonymous but still voice their opinion. I think that helps in creating a neutral public sphere.

    2. the public sphere is an integral component to a democratic society, whereby citizens can discuss, agree, or disagree with each other to illustrate their collective being, opinions, and ideals without influence from those that have been given the authority to govern.

      I really like how you phrased this. Free from outside influence. We definitely need to think for ourselves.

    1. people have opportunities to educate themselves less formally and with the access of the internet, questions can be answered within seconds on a mobile device.

      Another very good point. Hyperconnectivity certainly provides new forums where education can take place.

    2. With information being shared more widely and quickly through electronic devices, more people than ever before are able to participate in the public sphere.

      Very good point Courtney. Control over the generation and spread of information is so important. It allows people to think about and question the world around them.

    1. They are good in the sense that more people are able to obtain and disseminate information to a larger number of individuals.

      Good point. Power over the generation of information is so important. Look at what the printing press did. Once people had direct access to the information, in this case the Bible, they could form their own thoughts without relying on someone to interpret it for them.

    2. Unfortunately, the public sphere is being threatened by the media. Through a shift in reporting, the media now has an influence over the discourse. Instead of the goal of the media being the dissemination of information, it is now focused on how much commerce it can generate through it’s reporting. 

      The media can be biased, but many members still attempt to report the facts. Sometimes the information that generates the most interest can be relevant and honest for people.

    1. highly political and biased channels.

      Yes even our media is plagued by special interests.

    2. neutral

      I really like your use of the word neutral. It has to be free of governmental and organizational special interests. Just an open discussion.

    1. For this reason, I plan to investigate the relationship between how connected a student is in the classroom social network, and their individual reports of engagement.

      Ashlee what did you find? I studied education a little, undergraduate minor in education, and from my fieldwork, have a sense of how difficult it can be to manage engagement. I'm interested to know the effects of classroom social networks.

    1. I’d hypothesize that those with more robust networks to also receive more self-supporting sources of self-efficacy.

      HI Morgan, how did the research go? What were your findings?

    1. On that one post, he has 174 likes and 56 comments.

      What were your results? Please post. I'm interested to see the long-term consequences of your friend being sober.

    1. my small project is to better understand community-serving organization collaboration in the Richmond area.

      What did you find out and how do you think it will affect your larger paper?

    1. factors that compell an adolescent to participate in deviant behavior.

      What were your results? i'm interested to find out.

    1. identify ways in which differing leadership styles effect group dynamics and performance within an organization using SNA.

      Hi Sean, I'm curious what you found. Please share.

    1. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

      Patrick what were your findings? I'm interested to know how everything worked out?

    1. More specifically, three time periods will be studied. 

      The time periods studied help to explain much of the lack of effect across hospitals in more recent analysis of the hospital value based purchasing program.

    2. My research project will attempt to answer the question of how the American Hospital Association Political Action Committee (AHA PAC) has responded, in terms of political financial contributions, to the introduction and implementation of the Hospital Value-Base Purchasing (HVBP) Program by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

      Significant findings include the political mobilization of the American Hospital Association Political Action Committee in response to the hospital value based purchasing program. This indirectly indicates that hospitals started preparing for the hospital value based purchasing program much earlier that previously thought.

  3. Sep 2018
    1. Explore this statement...why are a computer scientist and a sociologist the perfect pair to teach this class? How is this class an example of translational teaching?

      A computer scientist and a sociologist are the perfect pair for our class because they complement one another in teaching social network analysis. The two disciplines combine to not only allow us to understand the sociological information, but also to model interactions using computer science. It is an ideal application of translations education because expertise gained from both fields is combined to create a greater level of understanding.