Sex differences in the structure and stability of children’s playground social networks and their overlap with friendship relations

Sex differences in social networks

exists if they were observed for more than 25% of their combined scans). This was based on the
proportion of an individual’s connections at T1 that were still in existence at T2 (friendship stability
was also measured in this way). This dichotomous categorisation of the stability of a connection
between two members provides limited insight into the stability of the whole network. The second
method, therefore, was based on the stability of membership of the social network and could fit into
one of 3 categories. Following previous research (see Cairns et al, 1998; Hallinan, 1981), the
network was deemed completely stable if membership was identical at both time points,
predominantly stable if 51% or more members at T1 remained members at T2 or unstable where
50% or less of members at T1 remained at T2. The predominantly stable category allowed for the
loss of or increase in members as well as the increase/ reduction in integration into the social
network (e.g. some members at the group level at T1 becoming core members by T2).

Results

Social network size

Examining social networks at their most general level (see Table 1) there were 29 groups at
T1 and 28 at T2. Virtually all groups were homogenous by gender. At T1, three groups contained a
single member of the opposite sex and by T2 this had reduced to two groups. In all cases members
of the opposite sex were a significant minority and thus for the purpose of analysis these networks
were considered according to the sex of the majority of membership.

The number and size of groups varied according to sex (see Table 1). Female groups
outnumbered those of males and thus logically, given the finite number of children in a class, male

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