Create and Analyze a Sociogram

Create and analyze a sociogram:

1.Ask a group these questions:

Which would be the first person you would like to work with in a group?

Which would be a second person you would like to work with in a group?

Which person would you not like to do group assignments with?

2. Introduce the answers into LinkNotions (create an interactive sociogram).

2.1. Create a new “world" with sufficient empty squares. We suggest you create 20 columns and 10 rows. Name it “Sociogram with mutual choices linear order from liked to refused”.

2.2. Create a notion square for each person in the group.

2.2.1. Double-click on the empty square.

2.2.2. Inscribe the person's name.

2.2.3. Click create.

2.3. Introduce all the answers from the first person (A).

2.3.1. Person A has selected person B as their first choice of whom they are willing to work with.

2.3.1.1. Place the cursor on square A (containing the name of person A).

2.3.1.2. Click the grey dot at the bottom of square A.

2.3.1.3. Click square B.

2.3.1.4. In the “link properties” window, create a new type of link.

2.3.1.4.1. Click on “custom type name” in the influence type section.

2.3.1.4.2. Type in “has selected first”.

2.3.1.4.3. Click “select color”.

2.3.1.4.4. Select the green color.

2.3.1.5. Click “save”.

2.3.2. Person A has selected person C as the second person they are willing to work with.

2.3.2.1 Place the cursor on square A (containing the name of person A).

2.3.2.2. Click the grey dot at the bottom of square A.

2.3.2.3. Click square C.

2.3.2.4. In the “link properties” window create a new type of link.

2.3.2.4.1. Click on “custom type name” in the influence type section.

2.3.2.4.2. Type in “has selected second”.

2.3.2.4.4. Select the blue color.

2.3.2.5. Click “save”.

2.3.3. Person A has selected person D as the person they do not want to work with.

2.3.3.1. Place the cursor on square A (containing the name of person A).

2.3.3.2. Click the grey dot at the bottom of square A.

2.3.3.3. Click square D.

2.3.3.4. In the “link properties” window create a new type of link.

2.3.3.4.1. Click on “custom type name” in the influence type section.

2.3.3.4.2. Type in “does not want to work with”.

2.3.3.4.3. Click “select color”.

2.3.3.4.4. Select the dark orange color.

2.3.3.5. Click “save”.

2.4. Input all the answers for person B.

2.4.1. Continue the same as in section 2.3., but instead of creating a custom type name, select a name from the drop down list entitled “custom” in the “influence type” section.

2.5. Input all the answers for the remaining people.

3. Export the links as an Excel file.

3.1. In the toolbar, click on the last icon: “L” (export a list of links in a CSV format).

3.2. An Excel file is downloaded. Double click on the file to open it.

3.3. Click “enable editing” to edit the file.

3.4. For a clearer overall table, erase all the columns except for:

3.4.1. Variable Nr (column B)

3.4.2. Source (name) (column E)

3.4.3. Type (column F)

3.4.4. Destination (name) (column I)

3.4.5. To erase a column, right click on the letter above the column you wish to delete and select “delete”.

3.4.6. Organize the data according to column C and B.

3.4.6.1. To achieve this, select everything (Ctrl +A).

3.4.6.2. Under DATA click “sort”.

3.4.6.3. Once the window open, click “sort by” and select column C.

3.4.6.4. Click “add level” and select column B.

3.4.6.5. Click “ok”.

4. Detect mutual choices.

4.1. Using the list, you can easily detect mutual first choices, i.e. the cases where two people have selected each other as first choice.

4.1.1. If A has selected F first, check the list to see if F has also selected A first.

4.1.2. If this is the case, mark “m1” in column E behind both rows (A selected F first, F selected A first).

4.1.3. Follow this procedure for all first choices.

4.2. Using the list, detect second mutual choices, i.e. all people who have mutually selected each other as second choices.

4.2.1. If B has selected C second and C has selected B second.

4.2.2. If this is the case, mark “m2” in column E behind both rows (B selected C second, C selected B second).

4.2.3. Follow this procedure for all second choices.

4.3. Using the list, detect all the first or second mutual choices, i.e. when person A has selected person B as a first choice and person B has selected person A as a second choice.

4.3.1. If A selected F first, check the list to see if F has selected A second.

4.3.2. If this is the case, mark these choices “m1/2” in column E behind both rows (A selected F first, F selected A second).

4.3.3. Follow this procedure for all the choices.

4.4. Using the list, detect all the cases of mutual refusal, i.e. people that have mutually declared not to want to work with each other.

4.4.1. If E refuses to work with F and if F refuses to work with E.

4.4.2. If this is the case, mark “r” in column E behind both rows (E refused F and F refused E).

4.4.3. Follow this procedure for all the choices.

5. Replace the types of relations for the mutual choices.

5.1. For all the cases where we have discovered a first mutual choice, return to your «World» and replace the type of relationship from “has selected first” to “first mutual choice”.

5.1.1. These are all the rows marked “m1” in the E column of the Excel document.

5.1.2. If A has selected F first, and F has also selected A first.

5.1.2.1. Double-click square A in your sociogram.

5.1.2.2. Under outgoing links click “F”. The “link properties” window opens.

5.1.2.3. Click on “custom” and input “first mutual choice”.

5.1.2.4. Click “color” and select dark green.

5.1.2.5. Click “save”.

5.1.3. Repeat these steps for every row marked “m1” in the E column of the Excel document.

5.2. For all the cases where we have discovered a second mutual choice replace the type of relationship from “has selected second” to “second mutual choice”.

5.2.1. These are all the rows marked “m2” in the E column of the Excel document.

5.2.2. If A has selected F second, and F has also selected A second.

5.2.2.1. Double-click square A in your sociogram.

5.2.2.2. Under outgoing links click “F”. The “link properties” window opens.

5.2.2.3. Click on “custom” and input “second mutual choice”.

5.2.2.4. Click “color” and select dark blue.

5.2.2.5. Click “save”.

5.2.3. Repeat these steps for every row marked “m2” in the E column of the Excel document.

5.3. For all the cases where we have discovered a second or first mutual choice, add a type of relationship “1/2 mutual choice”. In this case we cannot replace the relation otherwise we would not know who has been selected as a first or a second choice.

5.3.1. If A has selected F first, and F has selected A second.

5.3.1.1. Double-click square A in your sociogram.

5.3.1.2. Under outgoing links click “F”. The “link properties” window opens.

5.3.1.3. Click on “custom” and input “1/2 mutual choice”.

5.3.1.4. Click “color” and select turquoise.

5.3.1.5. Click “save”.

5.3.2. Repeat these steps for every row marked “m1/2” in the E column of the Excel document.

6. Organize all the people in two rows in function of how often they were selected.

6.1. In the first row, insert all the people that have no negative choices. On the left the person with the most positive choices, and on the right the person with the least positive choices.

6.2. In the second row insert all the people that have negative choices. On the left the people with one negative choice, ascending to the right ending with the person having the highest amount of negative choices.

6.3. Attention: it is sometimes difficult to decide what people should precede other people. This is mere detail, as it is important to see what particular position certain people hold within the group: whether they are more demanded or more disliked than other people.

7. Create a sociogram presenting the mutual choices.

7.1. Copy your World.

7.1.1. In your LinkNotions account, click copy behind the name of your world and rename it “sociogram classified by mutual choice”.

7.2. In “sociogram classified by mutual choice”, place the people that have selected each other mutually next to each other.

7.2.1. First select all the people that correspond to “m1” (mutual first choices). To do this you can use the Excel document and find all the rows labeled “m1” in column E.

7.2.2. You can also select a first person on the left and see if that person has a “first mutual choice “.

7.2.2.1. Click at the bottom of the square, if another square turns dark green they are a first mutual choice and you can move these people next to each other (using drag and drop).

7.2.3. You now have multiple groups of two people.

7.2.4. These groups can serve as a starting point to form more complex or coherent groups.

7.2.5. Now is the time to decide how many groups you want to create.

8. Create a sociogram with X amount of groups.

8.1. Copy your World.

8.1.1. In your LinkNotions account, click copy behind the name of your world and rename it “sociogram X groups” (X being the number of groups you want to create).

8.1.2. First select all the people in the “m1/2” category.

8.1.3. Then select all the people in the “m2” category.

8.1.4. There is no absolute rule for forming groups.

8.1.4.1. It is obvious not to put people in the same group that reject each other.

8.1.4.2. If possible try to avoid putting two people in a group where one person has refused one of the other people.