Related papers: Estimating Peer Effects Using Partial Network Data
Recently, many estimators for network treatment effects have been proposed. But, their optimality properties in terms of semiparametric efficiency have yet to be resolved. We present a simple, yet flexible asymptotic framework to derive the…
This paper addresses the problem of distributed learning of average belief with sequential observations, in which a network of $n>1$ agents aim to reach a consensus on the average value of their beliefs, by exchanging information only with…
The chronic widespread misuse of statistics is usually inadvertent, not intentional. We find cautionary examples in a series of recent papers by Christakis and Fowler that advance statistical arguments for the transmission via social…
This paper studies a linear production model in team networks with missing links. In the model, heterogeneous workers, represented as nodes, produce jointly and repeatedly within teams, represented as links. Links are omitted when their…
Randomized experiments, or "A/B" tests, remain the gold standard for evaluating the causal effect of a policy intervention or product change. However, experimental settings, such as social networks, where users are interacting and…
In this brief, we study epidemic spreading dynamics taking place in complex networks. We specifically investigate the effect of synergy, where multiple interactions between nodes result in a combined effect larger than the simple sum of…
We consider distributed networks, such as peer-to-peer networks, whose structure can be manipulated by adjusting the rules by which vertices enter and leave the network. We focus in particular on degree distributions and show that, with…
We consider the problem of estimating social influence, the effect that a person's behavior has on the future behavior of their peers. The key challenge is that shared behavior between friends could be equally explained by influence or by…
Human visual attention is susceptible to social influences. In education, peer effects impact student learning, but their precise role in modulating attention remains unclear. Our experiment (N=311) demonstrates that displaying peer visual…
Many epidemic models approximate social contact behavior by assuming random mixing within mixing groups (e.g., homes, schools and workplaces). The effect of more realistic social network structure on estimates of epidemic parameters is an…
There are various teaching methods developed in order to attain successful delivery of a subject without prior knowledge of the interaction among the students in a class. Social network analysis can be used to identify individual,…
Treatment noncompliance is pervasive in infectious disease cluster-randomized trials. Although all individuals within a cluster are assigned the same treatment condition, the treatment uptake status may vary across individuals due to…
Spatially embedded networks are shaped by a combination of purely topological (space-independent) and space-dependent formation rules. While it is quite easy to artificially generate networks where the relative importance of these two…
With the growing importance of corporate viral marketing campaigns on online social networks, the interest in studies of influence propagation through networks is higher than ever. In a viral marketing campaign, a firm initially targets a…
In this paper, we study a model of opinion dynamics in a social network in the presence increasing interpersonal influence, i.e., increasing peer pressure. Each agent in the social network has a distinct social stress function given by a…
Studies of networked phenomena, such as interactions in online social media, often rely on incomplete data, either because these phenomena are partially observed, or because the data is too large or expensive to acquire all at once.…
We investigate peer role model influence on successful graduation from Therapeutic Communities (TCs) for substance abuse and criminal behavior. We use data from 3 TCs that kept records of exchanges of affirmations among residents and their…
Do studies show that physical and online students' social networks support education? Analyzing interactions between students in schools and universities can provide a wealth of information. Studies on students' social networks can help us…
Contacts between individuals play an important role in determining how infectious diseases spread. Various methods to gather data on such contacts co-exist, from surveys to wearable sensors. Comparisons of data obtained by different methods…
Understanding how student peers influence learning outcomes is crucial for effective education management in complex social systems. The complexities of peer selection and evolving peer relationships, however, pose challenges for…