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An experimental device to elicit social networks

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Author Info
Pablo Brañas-Garza () (Department of Economic Theory and Economic History, University of Granada)
Ramón Cobo-Reyes () (Department of Economic Theory and Economic History, University of Granada)
Natalia Jiménez (Universidad de Granada)
Giovanni Ponti () (Universidad de Alicante y Ferrara)

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Abstract

This paper proposes an original mechanism to elicit latent social networks. Subjects are invited to reveal their friends’ name and surname, together with a score measuring the strength of relationship. According to the mechanism, subjects are rewarded of a fixed price either a) when they do not name anybody or b) when the scores of a randomly selected (bidirectional) link are sufficiently close. We test the mechanism’s performance in the field. Our main results are: i) a very large percentage of links (75%) were corresponded. ii) the mechanism largely captures strong friendship relations and practically ignores weak relations. A simple model of friend—regarding preferences is developed to explain this evidence.

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File URL: http://www.ugr.es/~teoriahe/RePEc/gra/wpaper/thepapers05_19.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Department of Economic Theory and Economic History of the University of Granada. in its series ThE Papers with number 05/19.

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Length: 27 pages
Date of creation: 12 Sep 2005
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:gra:wpaper:05/19

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Related research
Keywords: friendship; networks; experiments; other—regarding preferences.;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
Z13 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Social Norms and Social Capital; Social Networks Economic Anthropology

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Glenn W. Harrison & John A. List, 2004. "Field Experiments," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(4), pages 1009-1055, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Eckel, Catherine C. & Grossman, Philip J., 1996. "Altruism in Anonymous Dictator Games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 16(2), pages 181-191, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Charness, Gary & Corominas-Bosch, Margarida & Frechette, Guillaume R., 2007. "Bargaining and network structure: An experiment," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 136(1), pages 28-65, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  4. Ernesto Reuben & Frans van Winden, 2004. "Reciprocity and Emotions when Reciprocators know each other," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 04-098/1, Tinbergen Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  5. Kirchkamp, Oliver & Nagel, Rosemarie, 2000. "Local and Group Interaction in Prisoners` Dilemmas," Sonderforschungsbereich 504 Publications 00-11, Sonderforschungsbereich 504, Universität Mannheim & Sonderforschungsbereich 504, University of Mannheim. [Downloadable!]
  6. Cary Deck & Cathleen Johnson, 2004. "Link bidding in laboratory networks," Review of Economic Design, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 359-372, 04. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. John Duffy & Dean Corbae, 2006. "Experiments with Network Formation," Working Papers 292, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Economics, revised Aug 2007. [Downloadable!]
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  8. Berninghaus, Siegfried K. & Ehrhart, Karl-Martin & Keser, Claudia, 2002. "Conventions and Local Interaction Structures: Experimental Evidence," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 177-205, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Falk, Armin & Kosfeld, Michael, 2003. "It's all about Connections: Evidence on Network Formation," IZA Discussion Papers 777, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  10. James Andreoni & John Miller, 2002. "Giving According to GARP: An Experimental Test of the Consistency of Preferences for Altruism," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 70(2), pages 737-753, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Pablo Brañas-Garza & Miguel A. Durán & Mari Paz Espinosa, 2005. "Do experimental subjects favor their friends?," DFAEII Working Papers 200512, University of the Basque Country - Department of Foundations of Economic Analysis II. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Pablo Brañas-Garza & Maria Paz Espinosa, 2006. "Altruism with Social Roots: An Emerging Literature," DFAEII Working Papers 200607, University of the Basque Country - Department of Foundations of Economic Analysis II, revised 31 Jan 2007. [Downloadable!]
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