Social groups and social network formation

B-Tier
Journal: Games and Economic Behavior
Year: 2017
Volume: 103
Issue: C
Pages: 286-312

Authors (2)

Tarbush, Bassel (not in RePEc) Teytelboym, Alexander (Oxford University)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We present a dynamic model of social network formation in which a fixed number of agents interact in overlapping social groups. We derive several results on the formation of links in such networks, including results on the degree distribution, on comparative statics relating degree and group size, and on the dynamics of homophily. In particular, we derive comparative statics showing that degree is typically positively related to social group size but negatively related to the size of the overlap across multiple social groups. This is supported by evidence from a Facebook dataset. We also show that homophily over an agent's lifespan in the network can be non-monotonic, reaching a global maximum in some period before eventually decreasing.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:gamebe:v:103:y:2017:i:c:p:286-312
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29