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The word “sociometry” was coined by Jacob Levi Moreno (1889-1974), in studying emotional structures in small groups. Moreno also founded a journal, Sociometry (now the Social Psychology Quarterly), published by the American Sociological Association.
In sociometric surveys respondents are asked to name their friends, or to rate other group members on some dimension. These choices” can be displayed as a sociogram, a diagram in which points represent individuals and arrows represent choices.
Research in natural settings and laboratories shows that sociometric choices result from: (1) propinquity (proximity) – attraction forms between individuals who encounter each other in daily life; (2) reciprocity – attraction is mutual; (3) perceived similarity – individuals choose others they think are like them; and (4) status – individuals choose others with high prestige. Since interaction occurs between persons who have positive bonds, such persons tend to influence each other.
Cognitive balance theory is useful to sociometry. Heider proposed that people seek agreement with others they view positively and disagreement with those viewed negatively; such balanced states are stable while imbalanced states change. This explains reciprocity and similarity and predicts that relationships among three or more persons become transitive.
Bibliography:
- Heider, F. (1958) The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. Wiley, New York.
- Moreno, J. L. (1934) Who Shall Survive? A New Approach to the Problem of Human Interrelations. Beacon House, Boston, MA.
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