Name Generator Order Effects in Social Networks

Social Interaction Clinical Trial

Official title:

Understanding Name Generator Order Effects When Eliciting Social Networks in Rural Uganda: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02217748
• Other study ID #: MH096620-S2
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: August 13, 2014
• Last updated: November 29, 2015
• Start date: July 2014
• Est. completion date: June 2015

Study information

• Verified date: November 2015
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Uganda: National Council for Science and TechnologyUnited States: Institutional Review Board
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

The objective of our study was to determine the extent to which the order of specific items in a multiple name generator survey affects how social networks are measured.

Description:

Interpersonal relationships are one feature of the social environment that have been shown to have important influences on health and health behaviors (Berkman et al., 2000; Berkman & Syme, 1979) and mental health (Tsai et al., 2014). While the majority of these studies have been conducted in resource-rich settings, studies conducted in resource-limited settings have similarly demonstrated associations between social networks and health (Perkins, Subramanian, & Christakis, 2014). In this literature, the tie between two persons is the important unit of measurement. Classically, the social tie is typically elicited using a "name generator" survey that inquires about ties based on the affective content of the relationship (Laumann, 1966; Wellman, 1979) or normative bonds such as kinship ties (Kleiner & Parker, 1976).

Another popular approach to eliciting social ties has employed multiple name generators inquiring about specific types of interactions, such as discussions about important matters or exchanges of money (Burt, 1984; Marsden, 1987; McCallister & Fischer, 1978). These types of name generators have strong face validity, are less likely to be subjectively interpreted in different ways by different respondents, and are therefore likely to be more reliable. These are accompanied by a heavy respondent burden, however, and single-item name generators may perform comparably to multiple name generators only under limited circumstances (Marin & Hampton, 2007). It remains unclear, however, whether the order of name generators may affect study participant responses. While no studies have examined this empirically, there is a broad literature on public opinion polling suggesting that alternative specifications of question ordering can have important effects on respondents' answers (McFarland, 1981).

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 1557
• Est. completion date: June 2015
• Est. primary completion date: June 2015
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 years and older

• Emancipated minors aged 16-18 years

• Considers Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence

• Capable of providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Minors younger than 18 years, with the exception of emancipated minors

• Does not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence

• Unable to communicate with research staff, e.g., due to deafness, mutism, or aphasia

• Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or an intelligence quotient less than 70, as determined in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Social Interaction

Intervention

Other:
• Survey questionnaire

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Uganda	Mbarara University of Science and Technology	Mbarara

Sponsors (2)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Massachusetts General Hospital	Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Uganda, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Number of social ties elicited by a specific name generator		Baseline	No
Primary	Number of social ties elicited by the composite name generator		Baseline	No