Science Measures "Closeness"

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What does it mean, in scientific circles, to measure "closeness?" A survey of over 3,000 Americans provides some insights and so does our recent blog poll.

In a previous post, I discussed the science behind the six degrees of separation. While the data confirmed that we are really no more than five acquaintances away from any person in the world, I wondered what the research would say about the number of connections we have with people we actually consider to be "close" to us.

As it turns out, researchers determine the make-up of our close social contacts -- our "core discussion network," as sociologist Peter Marsden terms it -- by asking:

Who do you spend your free time with? and Who do you discuss important matters with?

A 2011 study posed these questions to more than 3,000 Americans over a series of three surveys. Additional personal information, including health and pro-social behaviors, was also collected. The study ultimately found that:

• 4.4 was the average number of close social contacts for an individual
• 12% of Americans listed no close contacts
• 5% had eight close contacts
• friends, spouses, siblings, co-workers, and neighbors were the most frequent contacts noted
• as the number of contacts increased, the average closeness between a person and their social contacts decreased
• there is thought to be a cognitive limit on the number of very close relationships a person can maintain
• an individual who has more friends is likely to behave more pro-socially

Equally as interesting are the results of the blog poll we ran last week, where we asked one of the "scientific" core network questions. The highest percentage of respondents in the DH community also noted 3 - 4 close social contacts:

Perhaps the next question (because we LOVE questions!) is how you choose who you choose to share the important stuff with?

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