ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (1): 178-190.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2020.00178

• Research Method • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Network analysis and its applications in psychology

CAI Yuqing1(), DONG Shuyang2, YUAN Shuai3, HU Chuan-Peng4,5()   

  1. 1 Department of Humanity, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    2 Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht,3584CS, Netherland
    3 Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg University, Tilburg, 5037AB, Netherland
    4 German Resilience Center, Mainz, 55131, Germany
    5 Neuroimaging Center (NIC), University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, 55131, Germany
  • Received:2019-05-27 Online:2020-01-15 Published:2019-11-21
  • Contact: CAI Yuqing,HU Chuan-Peng E-mail:cyq_2016@outlook.com;hcp4715@hotmail.com

Abstract:

Network analysis models (or Network Psychometrics) have been widely used in psychology research in recent years. Unlike latent variable models which conceive observable variables as outcomes of unobservable latent factors, network analysis models apply the graph theory to construct a network to depict the associations among observable variables. The observable variables are treated as nodes and the associations between them are treated as edges. As such, network analysis models reveal the relationships among observable variables and the dynamic system resulted from the interactions between these observable variables. With indices reflecting individual nodes’ characteristics (such as centrality) and network structural characteristics (such as small-worldness), network analysis models provide a new perspective for visualization and for studying various psychological phenomena. In the past decade, network analysis models have been applied in the fields of personality, social, and clinical psychology as well as psychiatry. Future research should continue to develop and improve the methods of network analysis models, making them applicable to more types of data and broader research fields.

Key words: network analysis, latent variable, psychometrics, psychopathology, personality traits

CLC Number: