Understanding the Social Networks That Form within the Context of an Obesity Prevention Intervention
Table 2
Network effects included in the model.
Network effects
Definition
Variable type
Outdegree
Ties leaving an actor (number of people marked as friends). Measure of the level of activity in the network.
Control
Reciprocity
Reciprocity is the extent to which ties are reciprocated between actors. Over time if A selects B, then B will reciprocate and select A, or A will drop his/her ties to B. There is an equilibrium tendency toward dyadic relationships to be either reciprocated or null.
Control
Closure (transitive ties and 3 cycles)
The tendency for a friend of a friend to become a friend.
Control
Similarity
Actors tend to form relationships with others who are similar to them in particular ways. Also termed homophily effect or more colloquially known as the idea that “birds of a feather flock together.”
