dyad

Examples of dyad in the following topics:

• Introduction to top-down approaches

  • The approaches we've examined to this point start with the dyad, and see if this kind of tight structure can be extended outward.
  • Some might prefer, however, to start with the entire network as their frame of reference, rather than the dyad.

• Effects of Group Size on Attitude and Behavior

  • Dyads and triads are the smallest social groups.
  • Social interaction in a dyad is typically more intense than in larger groups because neither member shares the other's attention with anyone else.
  • A triad is more stable than a dyad because one member can act as a mediator should the relationship between the other two become strained.

• Cliques

  • The smallest "cliques" are composed of two actors: the dyad.
  • But dyads can be "extended" to become more and more inclusive -- forming strong or closely connected regions in graphs.
  • A number of approaches to finding groups in graphs can be developed by extending the close-coupling of dyads to larger structures.

• Reciprocity

  • One approach is to focus on the dyads, and ask what proportion of pairs have a reciprocated tie between them?
  • The method just described is called the dyad method in Network>Cohesion>Reciprocity.
  • We've specified the "hybrid" method (the default) which is the same as the dyad approach.

• Introduction: Groups and sub-structures

  • The dyads, triads, and ego-centered neighborhoods that we examined earlier can all be thought of as sub-structures.
  • Many of the approaches to understanding the structure of a network emphasize how dense connections are built-up from simpler dyads and triads to more extended dense clusters such as "cliques."
  • We can also se that there is one case (#6) that is not a member of any sub-group (other than a dyad).
  • If you look closely, you will see that dyads and triads are the most common sub-graphs here -- and despite the substantial connectivity of the graph, tight groupings larger than this seem to be few.

• Summary

  • Individuals are embedded (usually simultaneously) in dyads, triads, face-to-face local groups of neighbors, and larger organizational and categorical social structures.

• Introduction

  • The smallest social structure in which an individual can be embedded is a dyad (that is, a pair of actors).
  • If we are considering a directed relation (A might like B, but B might not like A), there are three kinds of dyads (no tie, one likes the other but not vice versa, or both like the other).

• Introduction to bottom-up approaches

  • A clique extends the dyad by adding to it members who are tied to all of the members in the group.

• Understanding Social Interaction

  • Social interaction can be studied between groups of two (dyads), three (triads) or larger social groups.

• Summary

  • One focus in basic network analysis is on the immediate neighborhood of each actor: the dyads and triads in which they are involved.
  • Most of the time and effort of most social actors is spent in very local contexts -- interacting in dyads and triads.