Sunbelt XXXI International Network for Social Network ... - INSNA

Failing To See Or Failing To Seize Opportunities To Build Social Capital? The Role Of NeuroticismO'Connor, Kathleen M.; Sauer, Stephen; Welser, Ted; Gladstone, EricEgocentric NetworksDegree Centrality, Affiliation Networks, Personality, Laboratory Experiment, Cognitive ScienceFRI.AM2Interest in how individuals shape their networks has led scholars to investigate the link between individuals’ traits and their network positions. Recent workshowed that the strongest trait predictor of position was neuroticism, with those higher in neuroticism having lower degree centrality in their networks (Kleinet al., 2004). However, results did not explain this finding. We contend that a more precise accounting of how traits matter would help build a strong theoryabout the role that actors play in shaping their networks. Neurotics may take peripheral positions in their networks because they misperceive opportunities tobuild social capital (cognitive explanation). In Experiment 1, participants watched a video of a bar scene derived from Second Life, and described the socialnetwork depicted in the scene. Results showed that neurotics were relatively (and significantly) more inaccurate in identifying ties among actors in thesenetworks, providing evidence for a cognitive explanation for low degree centrality. In Experiment 2, we investigated whether neurotics also were relativelyunwilling to build social capital (behavioral explanation), and we did this by manipulating the barriers to entry and the rewards associated with occupying acentral position. As predicted, when costs were low and rewards were high, participants chose a central spot. However, this effect failed to materialize forneurotics. In sum, both cognitive obstacles and motivational barriers prevent some (here neurotics) from taking on central positions in their networks.Field Of Consumption: Using Network Analysis In Mapping Sustainable PracticesBellotti, ElisaNetworks and CultureBlock Model Analysis, Sustainability, ConsumptionSUN.AM2The paper explores the possibility of using network analysis to represent the field of sustainable consumption in Italy, related to other forms of practices and tomore general indicators of economic and cultural capital. It makes use of data from a survey conducted in 2005 on a statistically representative sample of theItalian population (1500 cases, aged from 25 to 74 year old, living across the country). The network is obtained by projecting the original two mode dataset(cases by variables) into a one mode matrix (variables by variables) and calculating the structural equivalence profiles for every variable. Analysis has beencarried at different levels of structural equivalence: at level 0.7 we identify 19 components of size bigger than 1, which represent strongly coherentconsumption practices. Lowering the value of structural equivalence to 0.3 we can see how these components get connected. Results show a space polarizedaround three clusters: the first referring to sustainable practices, which are linked to high economic and cultural capital; the second related to hedonisticattitudes, linked to medium cultural capital and medium high economic capital, and a lack of interest for environmental issues; the third characterised by loweconomic resources and a clear attitude toward saving, where sustainable practices are seen suspicious and expensive.