Name Generator Order Effects in Social Networks

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

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.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Social Interaction
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Survey questionnaire

Detailed 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).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 1557
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Uganda
  • Mbarara, Uganda
    • Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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 Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

6

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 1; Name generator order: leisure, money, support	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 2; Name generator order: leisure, support, money	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 3; Name generator order: money, leisure, support	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 4; Name generator order: money, support, leisure	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 5; Name generator order: support, leisure, money	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
Experimental: Survey questionnaire version 6; Name generator order: support, money, leisure	Other: Survey questionnaire; Other Names: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Number of social ties elicited by a specific name generator	Baseline
Number of social ties elicited by the composite name generator	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Collaborators: Mbarara University of Science and Technology
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Alexander C Tsai, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital; Principal Investigator: Bernard Kakuhikire, MBA, Mbarara University of Science and Technology

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: July 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 13, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 13, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): August 15, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): December 2, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 29, 2015
• Last Verified: November 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: MH096620-S2