Do individual differences impact the type of social networks people form? :

Abstract

This paper tries to understand how people with different personality types will be attracted towards forming! joining different types of networks. The first half of this paper looks at the two different types of network structures, namely closure networks and entrepreneurial networks. A review of literature has been done to try and understand why and how such networks are formed. As a part of this review, principles like homophily and heterophily have been studied and different network trajectories like goal oriented trajectories and serendipitous network trajectories, which lead to the formation of a network has also been looked at. In the second part of the paper, the paper looks at various personality factors, mainly the Big Five personality factors and the literature on self-monitors. After discussing the characteristics of each of these personality types, and reviewing the process of network formation, the author hypothesises a linkage between the different personality factors and network types. So, by understanding the personality type! characteristics of an actor, .e.g. by knowing which factor he!she scores high on, one should be able to predict what type of network the actor will be more prone to joining! forming.