Psychological Determinants and Consequences of Complex Networks

TL;DR

This paper explores how psychological traits influence and are influenced by social network structures through two models, highlighting the bidirectional relationship between psychology and social connectivity.

Contribution

It introduces two novel models demonstrating the psychological determinants and consequences within social networks, emphasizing endogeneity in network formation.

Findings

Network size correlates with extroversion and age.

Urban tribes emerge from limited cross-trait communication.

Psychological factors both shape and result from network dynamics.

Abstract

This paper presents two models that exemplify psychological factors as a determinant and as a consequence of social network characteristics. There is an endogeneity considered in network formation: while the social experiences have impacts on people, their current psychological states and traits affect network evolution. The first model is an agent-based model over Bianconi-Barabasi networks, used to explain the relation between network size, extroversion, and age of individuals. The second model deals with the emergence of urban tribes as a consequence of a smaller propensity to communicate with different with different traits and opinions.