Interaction frequency
Encyclopedia
Interaction
frequency
is a sociological concept referring to the total number of social interactions per unit time. Interactions, or what Georg Simmel
in his pioneering work called Wechselwirkungen, are the basis for society itself, according to Herbert Blumer
.
Face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and on-line chats are direct interactions. TV shows, radio programs, videos and books are forms of indirect interaction. In other words, interaction occurs when one person perceives the behavior of another, whether or not the other is present.
For dyads in small groups, direct interactions sum to n(n-1)/2, where n is the size of the population. Indirect interactions equal n(n-1). Indirect interactions, then, are roughly twice as likely as direct interactions.
For large populations counting the number of direct interactions is not possible. However, as John Engelmann showed, the number can be estimated by multiplying the total number of miles traveled times the density of the population. A somewhat more sensitive estimate could be to multiply miles traveled times the square root of population density.
The number of indirect interactions can be estimated through an analysis of online traffic. Andrew Lipsman, for example, reported that of the 2 million users that comScore samples, 6% account for approximately 50% of the Internet traffic.
Interaction rests, first of all, on the fact that behavior varies in intensity. Individuals can be soft-spoken and thoughtful one moment, or cheerful and jumping for joy the next. Onlookers are apt to notice intense behavior, and thereby interact with the person whose behavior is most intense.
In addition to intensity, behavior varies in complexity. It can be intricate one moment and simple the next. In other words, interactions can be behavior limiting, dynamically neutral, or behavior enlarging, respectively decreasing, maintaining, or increasing behavioral complexity.
seems to have been the first to suggest a connection between intensity and reduced alternatives. In his view, "If we take intense delight in one thing, we cannot do anything else at all."
Hypothetically, as interaction frequency increases, interactive behavior becomes more intense, less complex, and increasingly repetitive. As the world’s population grows, and people interact with each other at an ever swifter pace, horizontal power structures replace vertical ones, and violence escalates.
With the advent of the Internet, a share of violence seems to have shifted, intriguingly, from direct to indirect interaction. Ranting, raving, and threatening gestures have escalated in the blogosphere
. Meanwhile, cultural closure has taken on a new form called cyberbalkanization
. In other words, individuals interact frequently and almost exclusively with people like themselves.
Interaction
Interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another. The idea of a two-way effect is essential in the concept of interaction, as opposed to a one-way causal effect...
frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
is a sociological concept referring to the total number of social interactions per unit time. Interactions, or what Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel
Georg Simmel was a major German sociologist, philosopher, and critic.Simmel was one of the first generation of German sociologists: his neo-Kantian approach laid the foundations for sociological antipositivism, asking 'What is society?' in a direct allusion to Kant's question 'What is nature?',...
in his pioneering work called Wechselwirkungen, are the basis for society itself, according to Herbert Blumer
Herbert Blumer
Herbert George Blumer was an American sociologist. Continuing the work of George Herbert Mead, he named and developed the topic of symbolic interactionism. According to Blumer himself, his main post-graduate scholarly interests were symbolic interactionism and methodological problems...
.
Overview
Interaction can be either direct or indirect.- Interaction is direct, Hugo O. EngelmannHugo O. EngelmannHugo Otto Engelmann was an American sociologist, anthropologist and general systems theorist. Throughout his work he emphasized the significance of history.- Biography :...
explained, when participants exchange roles. - It is indirect when roles cannot be exchanged.
Face-to-face conversations, phone calls, and on-line chats are direct interactions. TV shows, radio programs, videos and books are forms of indirect interaction. In other words, interaction occurs when one person perceives the behavior of another, whether or not the other is present.
For dyads in small groups, direct interactions sum to n(n-1)/2, where n is the size of the population. Indirect interactions equal n(n-1). Indirect interactions, then, are roughly twice as likely as direct interactions.
For large populations counting the number of direct interactions is not possible. However, as John Engelmann showed, the number can be estimated by multiplying the total number of miles traveled times the density of the population. A somewhat more sensitive estimate could be to multiply miles traveled times the square root of population density.
The number of indirect interactions can be estimated through an analysis of online traffic. Andrew Lipsman, for example, reported that of the 2 million users that comScore samples, 6% account for approximately 50% of the Internet traffic.
Interaction rests, first of all, on the fact that behavior varies in intensity. Individuals can be soft-spoken and thoughtful one moment, or cheerful and jumping for joy the next. Onlookers are apt to notice intense behavior, and thereby interact with the person whose behavior is most intense.
In addition to intensity, behavior varies in complexity. It can be intricate one moment and simple the next. In other words, interactions can be behavior limiting, dynamically neutral, or behavior enlarging, respectively decreasing, maintaining, or increasing behavioral complexity.
Classic example
Theoretically, intensity and complexity are negatively correlated. The classic example of yelling "fire" in a theater illustrates that. Intensity increases, complexity declines, and alternatives diminish to fright, flight, and fight. AristotleAristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
seems to have been the first to suggest a connection between intensity and reduced alternatives. In his view, "If we take intense delight in one thing, we cannot do anything else at all."
Hypothetically, as interaction frequency increases, interactive behavior becomes more intense, less complex, and increasingly repetitive. As the world’s population grows, and people interact with each other at an ever swifter pace, horizontal power structures replace vertical ones, and violence escalates.
With the advent of the Internet, a share of violence seems to have shifted, intriguingly, from direct to indirect interaction. Ranting, raving, and threatening gestures have escalated in the blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
. Meanwhile, cultural closure has taken on a new form called cyberbalkanization
Cyberbalkanization
Cyberbalkanization refers to the division of the world wide web into sub-groups with specific interests, to the extent that a sub-group's members almost always use the web to communicate or read material that is only of interest to the rest of the sub-group...
. In other words, individuals interact frequently and almost exclusively with people like themselves.
See also
- Dynamic densityDynamic DensityIn sociology, dynamic density refers to the combination of two things: population density and the amount of social interaction within that population.-Context:...
- Hugo O. EngelmannHugo O. EngelmannHugo Otto Engelmann was an American sociologist, anthropologist and general systems theorist. Throughout his work he emphasized the significance of history.- Biography :...
- One-third hypothesisOne-third hypothesisThe one-third hypothesis is a sociodynamic term advanced by Hugo O. Engelmann, which asserts that a group’s increases as it approaches one-third of the population and diminishes when it exceeds or falls below one-third of the population....
- 2011 London riots