Informant Accuracy in Social Network Data.
Abstract
This paper examines the problem of informant accuracy in the production of social network data, through the use of a self-monitoring network. This allows a comparison between cognitive network data and informants' interactive behavior. Against expectations, it turns out that informants are extremely inaccurate, since informants' reports of their behavior can bear little resemblance to their behavior. An informant who claimed to have communicated with some person 'the most frequently' may have actually so communicated only 52% of the time. One implication of the findings is that theories of social structure built upon presently available network data are suspect.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 1975
- Accession Number
- ADA011362
Entities
People
- H. Russell Bernard
- Peter D. Killworth
Organizations
- West Virginia University