Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/81176 
Year of Publication: 
2005
Series/Report no.: 
IUI Working Paper No. 645
Publisher: 
The Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IUI), Stockholm
Abstract: 
This paper studies whether structural properties of friendship networks affect individual outcomes in education and crime. We first develop a model that shows that, at the Nash equilibrium, the outcome of each individual embedded in a network is proportional to her Bonacich centrality measure. This measure takes into account both direct and indirect friends of each individual but puts less weight to her distant friends. Using a very detailed dataset of adolescent friendship networks, we show that, after controlling for observable individual characteristics and unobservable network specific factors, the individual's position in a network (as measured by her Bonacich centrality) is a key determinant of her level of activity. A standard deviation increase in the Bonocich centrality increases the level of individual delinquency by 45% of one standard deviation and the pupil school performance by 34% of one standard deviation.
Subjects: 
Centrality Measure
Peer Influence
Network Structure
Delinquency
School Performance
JEL: 
A14
I21
K42
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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