Problems of Survey Measures of Social Networks

Since Fischers (1982) and Burts (1984) seminal contributions to collecting egocentric network data in social surveys the method has been employed in numerous studies and can be regarded as standard in this field. Recently this approach has been severely criticized. Several authors have pointed out that the standard approach to measuring egocentric network data suffers from strong interviewer effects which may lead to misleading conclusions (Paik/Sanchagrin 2013; Brüderl et al. 2013).

The presentation will discuss the methodological problems with the standard approach to collecting egocentric network data. Several adjustments to the standard approach will be discussed and alternative methods to capture aspects of “social capital” will be presented. The presentation ends with a plea to use a combination of several independent measures of social embeddedness thereby overcoming the shortcomings of each of the single measures.

Brüderl, J., Huyer-May, B., & Schmiedeberg, C. (2013). Interviewer Behavior and the Quality of Social Network Data. In P. Winker, N. Menold & R. Porst (Eds.), Interviewers' Deviations in Surveys (Vol. 22, pp. 147-160). Frankfurt/Main: Peter Lang.

Burt, R. S. (1984). Network Items and the General Social Survey. Social Networks, 6, 293-339.

Fischer, C. S. (1982). To Dwell Among Friends. Personal Networks in Town and City. Chicago-London: Chicago University Press.

Paik, A., & Sanchagrin, K. (2013). Social Isolation in America: An Artifact. American Sociological Review, 78(3), 339-360.