The Specification of Weight Structures in Network Autocorrelation Models of Social Influence

Many physical and social phenomena are embedded within networks of interdependencies, the so-called ‘context’ of these phenomena. In network analysis, this type of process is typically modeled as a network autocorrelation model. Parameter estimates and inferences based on autocorrelation models, hinge upon the chosen specification of weight matrix , the elements of which represent the influence pattern present in the network In this paper I discuss how social influence processes can be incorporated in the specification of . Theories of social influence center around ‘communication’ and ‘comparison’; it is discussed how these can be operationalized in a network analysis context. Starting from that, a series of operationalizations of W is discussed. Finally, statistical tests are presented that allow an analyst to test various specifications against one another or pick the best fitting model from a set of models. (also downloadable) in electronic version: http://som.rug.nl W