Recovering Social Networks from Individual Attributes

One of the most important challenges of network analysis remains the scarcity of reliable information on existing connection structures. This work explores theoretical and empirical methods of inferring directed networks from nodes attributes and from functions of these attributes that are computed for connected nodes. We discuss the conditions, under which an underlying connection structure can be (probabilistically) recovered, and propose a Bayesian recovery algorithm. In an empirical application, we test the algorithm on the data from the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

Non-uptake of predictive genetic testing for BRCA1/2 among relatives of known carriers: Attributes, cancer worry, and barriers to testing in a multicenter clinical cohort

BRCA1/2 test decliners/deferrers have received almost no attention in the literature and this is the first study of this population in the United Kingdom. The aim of this multicenter study is to examine the attributes of a group of individuals offered predictive genetic testing for breast/ovarian cancer predisposition who did not wish to proceed with testing at the time of entry into this study. This forms part of a larger study involving 9 U.K. centers investigating the psychosocial impact of predictive genetic testing for BRCA1/2. Cancer worry and reasons for declining or deferring BRCA1/2 predictive genetic testing were evaluated by questionnaire following genetic counseling. A total of 34 individuals declined the offer of predictive genetic testing. Compared to the national cohort of test acceptors, test decliners are significantly younger. Female test decliners have lower levels of cancer worry than female test acceptors. Barriers to testing include apprehension about the result, traveling to the genetics clinic, and taking time away from work/family. Women are more likely than men to worry about receiving less screening if found not to be a carrier. The findings do not indicate that healthy BRCA1/2 test decliners are a more vulnerable group in terms of cancer worry. However, barriers to testing need to be discussed in genetic counseling.

Citizenship Attributes as the Basis for Intergroup Differentiation:Implicit and Explicit Intergroup Evaluations

Recent research (e.g. Barnes, Auburn & Lee, 2004) suggests that citizenship opportunities and resources may be afforded or denied to individuals according to their group memberships. We consider how the generic processes of intergroup differentiation by which groups are socially devalued and excluded can reflect divergent conceptualizations of citizenship among different groups. As part of a wider investigation of social exclusion, a combination of methods was used to investigate the relative intergroup perceptions of residents from more and less affluent areas in Limerick city, Ireland. Participants (n=214) completed the implicit association test and rated a fictional character on a series of citizenship-relevant dimensions. All participants displayed negative
implicit associations with designated disadvantaged areas in Limerick. The results of the explicit prejudice assessment illustrated that these negative associations are matched by a lower overall attribution of positive characteristics to residents from these areas relative to residents from a more affluent area. On examination of each group’s relative rating of traits, residents from less affluent
areas appear doubly disadvantaged as they are devalued in terms of both outgroup and ingroup understandings of citizenship attributes.