A Review of Mathematical Methods in Sociometry

Abstract

Current mathematical and computer methods for the analysis of group and organizational structures of communication and evaluation are reviewed. Sociometric data collection, the detection of cliques and subgroups, sociometric index construction, and computer methods in sociometry are discussed. Clique detection methods are classified as either linkage methods, in which sociometric data are treated as a linear graph, or as distance methods, in which data are treated as a configuration of points in a space. Several linkage and distance analysis methods are discussed and compared. It is suggested that some of the methods of numerical taxonomy could be applied to the analysis of group and organizational structures.