Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks
The abundance of data about social relationships allows the human behavior to be analyzed as any other natural phenomenon. Here we focus on balance theory, stating that social actors tend to avoid establishing cycles with an odd number of negative links. This statement, however, can be supported onl...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2024
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| _version_ | 1811139345133862912 |
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| author | Gallo, A Garlaschelli, D Lambiotte, R Saracco, F Squartini, T |
| author_facet | Gallo, A Garlaschelli, D Lambiotte, R Saracco, F Squartini, T |
| author_sort | Gallo, A |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | The abundance of data about social relationships allows the human behavior to be analyzed as any other natural phenomenon. Here we focus on balance theory, stating that social actors tend to avoid establishing cycles with an odd number of negative links. This statement, however, can be supported only after a comparison with a benchmark. Since the existing ones disregard actors’ heterogeneity, we extend Exponential Random Graphs to signed networks with both global and local constraints and employ them to assess the significance of empirical unbalanced patterns. We find that the nature of balance crucially depends on the null model: while homogeneous benchmarks favor the weak balance theory, according to which only triangles with one negative link should be under-represented, heterogeneous benchmarks favor the strong balance theory, according to which also triangles with all negative links should be under-represented. Biological networks, instead, display strong frustration under any benchmark, confirming that structural balance inherently characterizes social networks. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:04:36Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:13eb8c10-788c-41d8-978b-0adef318aea2 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:04:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Springer Nature |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:13eb8c10-788c-41d8-978b-0adef318aea22024-05-28T11:10:49ZTesting structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networksJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:13eb8c10-788c-41d8-978b-0adef318aea2EnglishSymplectic ElementsSpringer Nature2024Gallo, AGarlaschelli, DLambiotte, RSaracco, FSquartini, TThe abundance of data about social relationships allows the human behavior to be analyzed as any other natural phenomenon. Here we focus on balance theory, stating that social actors tend to avoid establishing cycles with an odd number of negative links. This statement, however, can be supported only after a comparison with a benchmark. Since the existing ones disregard actors’ heterogeneity, we extend Exponential Random Graphs to signed networks with both global and local constraints and employ them to assess the significance of empirical unbalanced patterns. We find that the nature of balance crucially depends on the null model: while homogeneous benchmarks favor the weak balance theory, according to which only triangles with one negative link should be under-represented, heterogeneous benchmarks favor the strong balance theory, according to which also triangles with all negative links should be under-represented. Biological networks, instead, display strong frustration under any benchmark, confirming that structural balance inherently characterizes social networks. |
| spellingShingle | Gallo, A Garlaschelli, D Lambiotte, R Saracco, F Squartini, T Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title | Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title_full | Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title_fullStr | Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title_short | Testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| title_sort | testing structural balance theories in heterogeneous signed networks |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT galloa testingstructuralbalancetheoriesinheterogeneoussignednetworks AT garlaschellid testingstructuralbalancetheoriesinheterogeneoussignednetworks AT lambiotter testingstructuralbalancetheoriesinheterogeneoussignednetworks AT saraccof testingstructuralbalancetheoriesinheterogeneoussignednetworks AT squartinit testingstructuralbalancetheoriesinheterogeneoussignednetworks |