What is Sociometry? Characteristics, objectives and methods

This technique, devised by Jacob Levy Moreno in the 1930s, is very useful in Social Psychology.

In different university courses, sociometry is studied in one way or another. But what exactly is this research method? what exactly is this research method, what are its characteristics and what objectives does it pursue?

Sociometry is a quantitative (numerical) research method used in sociology, social psychology and related fields. It aims to measure social relationships within a particular group, to evaluate both individual and general data.

What is sociometry and what is it used for?

Sociometry contributes to the application of quantitative measurement methods in the yes of certain groups and social structures, and helps us to understand the capabilities, interactions and mental well-being both at the group level and at the level of each of its members.

This method was devised by psychologist and therapist Jacob Levy Moreno. Since its inception, sociometry has been a valuable tool for assessing and measuring the interaction between components of different groups, for example in academic, educational, work or sports settings.

The sociometric method employs various methodological resources belonging to the quantitative approach, such as the questionnaire and the questionnaire.The sociometric method employs various methodological resources belonging to the quantitative approach, e.g. the questionnaire and the survey, which belong to the spectrum of sociometric test methodologies.

History of sociometry

Sociometry was born at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, where Jacob Levy Moreno lived. This new conceptualization gave rise to methods that would make sociometry a technique with the capacity to study, diagnose and predict dynamics of group and social interaction, both in groups of few members and in social contexts of much greater complexity and size.

The influence of Jacob Levy Moreno

The Viennese psychiatrist and student of Sigmund Freud had his first contact with sociometric study when he collaborated in the organization of a refugee colony in his country. Thus, knowing firsthand the various problems that arose in groups of people, Moreno tried to organize these groups and their members through sociometric planning.

In 1925, Jacob Levy Moreno moved to New York and in that context developed a solid theoretical basis for his sociometric method. He tested his method on a large scale in Sing-Sing Prison, in the city where he lived.. This test would provide him with a much more detailed view of the multiple variables that influence personal relationships between different groups within a particular physical context.

With the data collected and using his greater experience, he refined the method and developed a more polished version of the sociograms, a visual form in the form of diagrams that allow the study of good or bad relationships between individuals in the context of a larger group.

From that moment on Moreno would make his sociograms known among the American academic and scientific community. His methodology was valued very positively, and became part of the most used and effective tools when starting quantitative and psychosocial analyses.

Five years after his first sketch, already in the 1930s, Jacob Levy Moreno published a work on interpersonal relationships that would lay the foundations of sociometry. It is from that moment that the methodology created by Moreno experienced a boom and was applied in a multitude of contexts and projects. In fact, it even had its own specialized academic journal in 1936. In addition, the Institute of Sociometry was founded in New York, later renamed the Moreno Institute, in honor of Jacob Levy.

Objectives of sociometry

Sociometry pursues different objectives and has different uses. According to Jacob Levy Moreno himself, the main objectives of sociometry are the following:

• To evaluate the level of sympathy that a person arouses in a group of people.
• To delve into the reasons why this is so.
• Analyze the degree of cohesion among the different components of the same group.

1. Detecting rejected individuals

One of the objectives of sociometry is to detect and classify those individuals who are most rejected by the other members of the group.. Likewise, it also deals with the opposite cases: to identify and classify those individuals who are more valued by the rest.

In this way, the aim is to work with the former to foster their social skills and reinforce their communication and relationships with the rest, while with the more valued ones, their leadership capacity can be strengthened.

2. Detecting isolated people

Another of the objectives of sociometry is to to detect people who are considered isolated or isolated from the group.How is this measured? They are individuals who do not generate influence, positive or negative, in the dynamics and relationships within the group.

3. Analyze group dynamics

Another of the opportunities it offers us is to be able to foresee, after studying the dynamics of the group, how it will react and adapt to certain changes, how the group will react and adapt to certain changes, such as the inclusion of new individuals or the departure of others.such as the inclusion of new individuals or the departure of others.

These three objectives can be met by sociometry in educational and professional contexts, which are the two groups most commonly analyzed using this technique.

How does the sociometric method work?

The sociometric method developed by Jacob Levy Moreno is commonly used in educational contexts.. It is used to have more data and elements of analysis on the level of interaction, sympathy/antipathy and cohesion among peers. It also serves to detect certain positive patterns, or disagreements, that may exist among several of these members, and how these dynamics influence the group.

The basic functions of sociometry are basically twofold: firstly, the identification of personal relationships within a group. It should be borne in mind that sociometry rarely deals with the study of large groups, to ensure that the variables at play can be well identified. Once the behavioral patterns within the group have been detected, the method is applied by means of the sociometric test.

The sociometric test is a questionnaire to be completed by each member of the group under analysis. It should be administered without compromising or pressuring the participants. The test proposes different scenarios and gives the participant the freedom to choose with which other members he/she would prefer to form a subgroup, and his/her reasons. In this way, and through the responses of each member, it is possible to learn first-hand the intragroup dynamics and the reasons why each participant has a greater or lesser appreciation for the other individuals.

Finally, the method can be used to make forecasts. That is, it can help to preview the most appropriate and effective dynamics to resolve tensions between participants and to stimulate good dynamics that have already been detected in the past.

Bibliographical references:

• Forselledo, A. G. (2010). Introduction to sociometry and its applications. Montevideo: Universitario de Estudios Superiores.
• Jennings, H.H. (1987) Sociometry in Group Relationships. 2nd ed. Westport: Greenwood.
• Moreno, J. L. (1951). Sociometry, Experimental Method and the Science of Society: An Approach to a New Political Orientation. Beacon House.
• Page, J. 1988/9. Education and Acculturation in Malaita: An ethnography of intra-ethnic and inter-ethnic affinities. Journal of Intercultural Studies. 15/16:74-81. Online: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/3566/