Sociometry

Prof. Kanagaraj Easwaran

Department of Social Work

Mizoram University
Aizawl – 796 004.
 Introduction
• Social Structure – Social System
• Sociometry – SNA - An important methodology
• Not so widely used in India.
• Popularity in the west is increasing.
• Computer Applications – availability of software
– increasing users.
• My experience : PG Student – PhD Scholar–
Fieldwork Supervisor – Research Guide.
 Goals and Outline
• Exercise - Groups
• Introducing the Basics
• Sociometry.
• Collection of Data
• Analysis
• Visualization
• Demonstration with Sample
• Illustration of Two of Our research works.
• Inspiring young minds to take up sociometric problems for
research.
 An Exercise: Formation Groups I
 Familiar known to each other.

 Knowing names of each others.

 7 -11 Members.

 Diversity : Gender, discipline etc.

 Voluntary

 Only five groups.

 The Exercise:
• Pieces of paper are given to each group
• Distribute pieces of paper among the members.
• Each member has to write
– Name of Him/Her:
– Gender:
– Subject:
– University:
• S/he has to write: Names of other members in the group Who are
– Names of Friend:
– Names of Neighbour:
– Names of Roommates:
• Back side of the Paper: Group A, B, C.
• No discussion or consultation.
• Please do it alone.
• Not to reveal
• Information will be confidential.
• Numbers will be assigned at random.
 What is Sociometry?
• As Social Science researchers
– What do you measure?
– Is it social, interactional or relational
• Latin “socius,” “metrum,”
– Social - Measurement
– Interpersonal, interactional or relational
• Measurement of social relations –
interpersonal relations.
• Collection of relational data, analysis,
visualization.
 Concept of Sociometry
• Sociometry is a way of measuring the degree
of relatedness among people.
• Jacob Levy Moreno – Sociometry.
• First long-range sociometric study from 1932-
38 in New York.
• A methodology for tracking the energy vectors
of interpersonal relationships in a group.
 What is Sociometry?
• Moreno (1953) “the mathematical study of
psychological properties of populations, the
experimental technique of and the results
obtained by application of quantitative
methods”.
• Shows the patterns of how individuals
associate with each other when acting as a
group toward a specified end or goal (Criswell
in Moreno, 1960, p. 140).
 Uses of Sociometry
• Assessment of behavior within groups
• For interventions to bring about positive
change and for determining the extent of
change.
• A powerful tool for reducing conflict and
improving communication : objectively and to
analyze its own dynamics.
• Powerful tool for assessing dynamics and
development in groups devoted to therapy or
training.
 Expanding Uses
• Technique for study of small groups.

• Organizations'.

• Communities.

• Countries

• World System – Political Economic order.

• Social Network Analysis

 Structural Analysis
• Study of Structure of Whole Groups;

• Social Network Analysis

• How behaviour, cognition related to relations?

• Personal Network Analysis.

• Application of Matrix algebra, graph theory, computer

software.

• Dynamics – Change
 Sociometric Choice
• Collection of Data:
• Choice
• People make choices in interpersonal relationships.
• Moreno says, “Choices are fundamental facts in all
ongoing human relations, choices of people and
choices of things. It is immaterial whether the
motivations are known to the chooser or not; it is
immaterial whether [the choices] are inarticulate or
highly expressive, whether rational or irrational. They
do not require any special justification
• as long as they are spontaneous and true to the self of
the chooser. They are facts of the first existential
order. (Moreno, 1953, p. 720)”.
 Sociometric Criteria
• Choices are always based on criterion.
• Subjective criterion :
– Liking or disliking a person on first impression.
• Objective and conscious,
– Knowing that a person does or does not have certain
skills needed for the group task.
• Members of a group are asked to choose others
in the group based on a specific criteria.
• Everyone in the group makes choices
• Describe why the choices were made.
 Some Sample Criteria
Whom in this room would you choose…
1. for advice on repairing the transmission of
your car?
2. to generate creative ideas?
3. for support in taking risks?
4. to relay messages accurately?
5. for help in dealing with a difficult client?
 Sample Criteria
6. to run a business for profit?

7. to get reliable information on top management

decisions?

8. to keep a confidence?

9. who gives recognition for a job well done?

10. who has shown the most growth in the past

year?
 Analysis and Visualization of Sociometric Data

• A Group is selected.
• Sociometric choice data is collected.
• Visualized in a sociogram.
• Lines and nodes.
• Relations and individual unit or group member.
• In a Matrix the data is entered in rows and
column.
• Software - used to analyse and visualise the data.
• Sociomatrix
Sociogram: A Simple Example
Sociomatrix
 Sociomatrix: Fictive
A B C D E F G Total
A 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 3
B 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 5
C 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 3
D 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 6
E 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
F 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 4
G 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 3
Total 6 3 4 3 5 3 2 26
Sociogram: Fictive
Sociogram II
Group C: Sociogram
 Constructing Sociomatrix
• Sociometric Choices
– Limited
– Unlimited
• Values:
– Binary – 0/1
– Signed - -1 , 0, +1
– Valued – 1,2,3,4,5
• Same Units in Rows and Column. (Case X Case)
• Different from Case X Variable
 What can be found?
• Leadership: Stars and Isolates
• Power structure :
– Centralized or Decentralized
– Hierarchical or Egalitarian
• Cohesion: Mutual Choices
• Group Structure:
– Groups and Sub-groups – cliques.
• Influence of Group on Behaviour or Cognition
Demonstration
Questions