Perspective-taking and memory capacity predict social network size

Journal article

Abstract:: Human social networks typically consist of a hierarchically organized series of grouping levels. There is, however, considerable variation between individuals in the sizes of any given network layer. We test between two possible factors (memory capacity and theory of mind) that might limit the size of two different levels within human social networks (support cliques and sympathy groups). We show that the size of an individual's support clique (the number of individual's in the innermost circle of friends) is better explained by individual differences in social cognition (mentalising skills). However, the size of the sympathy group (the most frequent social partners) is better explained by individual's performance on memory tasks.

Institution:: "University of Liverpool"
Department:: British Academy Centenary Research Project,School of Biological Sciences
Role:: Author

Institution:: "University of Liverpool"
Department:: British Academy Centenary Research Project,School of Biological Sciences
Role:: Author

Language:: English
Keywords:: sympathy group

social network

support clique

theory of mind

memory capacity
Subjects:: Biology

Anthropology
UUID:: uuid:12dc0429-ecf5-4dda-be03-ee981a8b8958
Local pid:: ora:3186
Deposit date:: 2010-01-06
ARK identifier:: ark:/29072/ora_12dc0429ecf54ddabe03ee981a8b8958

Copyright holder:: Elsevier B V
Notes:: The full-text of this article is not available in ORA, but you may be able to access the article via the publisher copy link on this record page. N.B. Professor Dunbar is now based at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford.

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