Title
Social contagion theory: examining dynamic social networks and human behavior.
Abstract
Here, we review the research we have conducted on social contagion. We describe the methods we have employed (and the assumptions they have entailed) to examine several datasets with complementary strengths and weaknesses, including the Framingham Heart Study, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, and other observational and experimental datasets that we and others have collected. We describe the regularities that led us to propose that human social networks may exhibit a three degrees of influence property, and we review statistical approaches we have used to characterize interpersonal influence with respect to phenomena as diverse as obesity, smoking, cooperation, and happiness. We do not claim that this work is the final word, but we do believe that it provides some novel, informative, and stimulating evidence regarding social contagion in longitudinally followed networks. Along with other scholars, we are working to develop new methods for identifying causal effects using social network data, and we believe that this area is ripe for statistical development as current methods have known and often unavoidable limitations. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Year
DOI
Venue
2011
10.1002/sim.5408
STATISTICS IN MEDICINE
Keywords
Field
DocType
social networks,contagion,human behavior,homophily,causal interence
Econometrics,Emotional contagion,Social network,Homophily,Three degrees of influence,Cognitive psychology,Happiness,Interpersonal influence,Social support,Strengths and weaknesses,Mathematics
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
32
4
0277-6715
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
56
4.73
18
Authors
2
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Nicholas A Christakis150836.92
James H. Fowler253136.14