@inproceedings{d878e7b740de4f07a4b1bb180bc0d461,
title = "Estimating Personal Network Size with Non-random Mixing via Latent Kernels",
abstract = "A major problem in the study of social networks is estimating the number of people an individual knows. However, there is no general method to account for barrier effects, a major source of bias in common estimation procedures. The literature describes approaches that model barrier effects, or non-random mixing, but they suffer from unstable estimates and fail to give results that agree with specialists{\textquoteright} knowledge. In this paper we introduce a model that builds off existing methods, imposes more structure, requires significantly fewer parameters, and yet allows for greater interpretability. We apply our model on responses gathered from a survey we designed and show that our conclusions better match what sociologists find in practice. We expect that this approach will provide more accurate estimates of personal network sizes and hence remove a significant hurtle in sociological research.",
keywords = "Barrier effects, Kernel-based models, Non-random mixing, Personal network size estimation",
author = "Swupnil Sahai and Timothy Jones and Cowan, {Sarah K.} and Tian Zheng",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.; 7th International Conference on Complex Networks and their Applications, COMPLEX NETWORKS 2018 ; Conference date: 11-12-2018 Through 13-12-2018",
year = "2019",
doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-05411-3_55",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "9783030054106",
series = "Studies in Computational Intelligence",
publisher = "Springer Verlag",
pages = "694--705",
editor = "Renaud Lambiotte and Rocha, {Luis M.} and Pietro Li{\'o} and Hocine Cherifi and Aiello, {Luca Maria} and Chantal Cherifi",
booktitle = "Complex Networks and Their Applications VII - Volume 1 Proceedings The 7th International Conference on Complex Networks and their Applications COMPLEX NETWORKS 2018",
}