Statistical Analysis of Multiple Sociometric Relations

Abstract

Loglinear models are adapted for the analysis of multivariate social networks, a set of sociometric relations among a group of actors. Models that focus on the similarities and differences between the relations and models that concentrate on individual actors are discussed. This approach allows for the partitioning of the actors into blocks or subgroups. Some ideas for combining these models are described, and the various models and computational methods are applied to the analysis of data for a corporate interlock network of the 25 largest organizations in Minneapolis/St. Paul and for a classic network of 18 monks in a cloister. The computational techniques all involve variations on the standard iterative proportional-fitting algorithm used extensively in the analysis of multidimensional contingency tables.

Key Words:

• Loglinear model
• Directed graph
• Social network
• Sociometric data
• Iterative proportional fitting
• GLIM model