sociometry

n. a field of research in which various techniques are used to analyze the patterns of intermember relations within groups and to summarize these findings in mathematical and graphic form. In most cases, relationships between members are summarized in a sociogram, in which each member is represented by a numbered or lettered symbol and relationships are identified by lines between them with arrows indicating the direction of relationships. The method also yields various indices of group structure and group cohesion, including choice status (the number of times a person is chosen by the other group members), rejection status (the number of times a person is rejected by others), the relative number of mutual pairs in a group, and so on. See also social network analysis; sociometric status. [developed by Jacob L. Moreno] —sociometric adj.

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Psychology term of the day

December 21st 2024

family pattern

a characteristic quality of the relationship between the members of a particular family (e.g., between parents and children). Family patterns vary widely in emotional tone and in the attitudes of the members toward each other. Some families are warm, others cool; some are extremely close and symbiotic, in others the members keep each other at a distance; some are open to friends and relatives, others are not; in some, one or more children are accepted and loved, in others one or more children are distanced or otherwise rejected. Such patterns or elements of such patterns may range from nonconscious to fully realized. See also pathogenic family pattern.