Social
There is a strong causal link between the quality of social relationships and overall quality of life, including both subjective happiness and physical health. In fact, a 2010 meta-analysis of 148 studies found that social disconnection is at least as harmful as obesity, physical inactivity, and smoking 15 cigarettes per day. That same meta-analysis found that strong social relationships increase the likelihood of survival by 50 percent - regardless of age, sex or health status. This measure is divided into three submeasures:
Structural Social Networks: network density, size, number, and frequency.
Functional Social Networks: the roles and needs fulfilled by the social networks in your life.
Social Skills: the ability to acquire and maintain social networks.
Structural Social Networks
In sociology, the structure of a person's social network refers to the size, diversity, and composition of their connections, rather than the quality or function of the support provided. For instance, questions such as "How many close friends do you have?" or "How frequently do you interact with various groups?" help gauge the overall reach and diversity of a person's social ties. Inevitably this loses the nuance of social interactions, however is an important measure when trying to round out a picture of a person's social life, and offsets the subjectivity that invariably accompanies self-assessments.
Social Circles
The Convoy Model of Social Relationships was developed by Kahn and Antonucci in 1980 as a way of quantitatively measuring social relationships. This model viewed life as a pioneer convoy, with individuals represented as wagons who join or leave one's convoy as life progresses. In 1986, Antonucci published the Hierarchical Mapping Technique which envisioned this convoy as consisting of the subject in the centre surrounded by three concentric circles. This has become a common method for measuring social life health. See Fuller 2020 for an overview.
In this framework, the Inner Circle is made up of people who are so integral to your life that you can’t imagine being without them. These individuals are the primary sources and receivers of support, often including family members like parents, siblings, a spouse, or children. Relationships in this circle tend to remain consistent over the course of life.
The Middle Circle includes those to whom you’re close, though not as intimately as those in the Inner Circle. These relationships still carry significant meaning beyond just fulfilling social roles, reflecting a deeper personal connection.
The Outer Circle consists of people you haven’t mentioned in the previous circles but who are still important enough to be part of your social network. These relationships tend to be more role-based—like a valued colleague—but don’t typically extend beyond specific contexts, such as work, and may fade if those contexts change.
Social Network Diversity
One method of measuring social network strength is through the diversity of sources of social contacts. In 1997, Sheldon and colleagues published a study of 276 volunteers that found more diverse social networks were associated with greater resistance to upper respiratory illness (i.e. the common cold). This study asked participants to list whether they had engaged in conversation with someone in 12 different relationship categories over the last two weeks. Their study found the diversity of social network was a more important determinant of health than total number of network members. These categories are:
Spouse
Parents
Parents-in-law
Children
Other close family
Close neighbours
Friends
Workmates
Schoolmates
Fellow volunteers (charity, social work)
Non-religious group members (social, recreational, professional)
Religious group members
Note that multiple contacts in one category will still only be counted as one point: for instance, speaking with two parents is only counted as one point since both are in the 'parent' category. Like all models of social network, this is an imperfect assessment however provides a good approximation for the diversity of social network.
Social Reach
The number of unique social interactions is a strong indicator of social network diversity and engagement. Researchers have found that self-reported loneliness among adults aged 55-85 predicts mortality several months later, even after controlling for age, sex, chronic diseases, alcohol use, smoking, and self-assessed health condition. A broad social network provides access to different forms of support, advice, and resources, all of which contribute to better emotional health and life satisfaction.
Tangible Support
Tangible Support refers to the perceived availability of practical assistance or material aid, such as financial help, providing resources, or performing tasks. This type of support is crucial in times of need, ensuring that individuals feel they have access to the help necessary for managing daily life challenges. This indicator measures how often people believe they can rely on others for tangible, hands-on assistance when required. For all responses respondents exclude your spouse, if applicable.
Functional Social Networks
"There are almost as many ways to measure social life as there are studies." - S. Cohen and colleagues in Social support: theory, research and applications (1985).
Differentiating between the structure and functions of social networks is crucial for understanding the overall health of a person’s social life. For example, studies that examine the structure of social networks (like "How many friends do you have?") are often not separated from those that evaluate the functions networks serve (such as "Do you have someone to talk to about personal problems?"). In many cases, structural and functional aspects are combined into single support indices, which can result in scores that lack clear conceptual meaning.
The following Social Life indicators will specifically assess functional support—or how individuals perceive the availability of various types of support. Each indicator includes ten detailed micromeasures.
Self-Esteem
Self-Esteem refers to the perception of oneself in comparison to others, specifically the belief that one measures up positively in key areas. This indicator assesses the degree to which individuals feel confident about their abilities and worth when comparing themselves to peers or societal standards. A strong sense of self-esteem is linked to greater life satisfaction and resilience in facing challenges. This indicator measures how often people experience a positive self-comparison in their daily lives.
Belonging
Belonging refers to the perceived availability of people with whom one can share activities and experiences. This type of support is crucial for fostering a sense of connection and community. Having people to do things with helps reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation while enhancing overall well-being. This indicator measures how often individuals feel they have access to others for companionship and shared activities.
Appraisal Support
Appraisal Support refers to having someone available to talk to about personal issues, providing emotional validation, feedback, and guidance. This type of support is essential for coping with stress and making decisions, as it helps individuals feel understood and supported. Regular access to appraisal support can enhance emotional well-being and reduce feelings of isolation. This indicator measures how frequently individuals feel they can rely on someone for this kind of personal support.
Social Skills
Effective social skills are essential for building and maintaining relationships, communicating effectively, and navigating social environments. Skills such as active listening, empathy, assertiveness, and nonverbal communication all play key roles in creating meaningful interactions with others. These skills are not only crucial for deepening relationships, but they also help individuals handle conflicts, convey needs, and build connections with a range of people in diverse settings.
The following Social Skills indicators focus on assessing various abilities that contribute to positive and effective social interactions. From optimism to empathy, these indicators evaluate how well individuals can initiate, maintain, and deepen their social connections through both verbal and nonverbal cues.
Weak Tie Initiative
Previous research has consistently shown that positive social interactions, such as expressing gratitude and socializing, are linked to increased happiness. However, much of this research has focused on extended interactions with close relationships. Recent research by Gunaydin and colleagues now suggests that even brief interactions, like greeting, thanking, or offering good wishes to strangers, can boost the happiness of those who initiate them. Another study has found that people who engaged in brief positive exchanges with strangers reported higher subjective well-being. Additionally, these positive interactions provided greater emotional benefits than more neutral social exchanges.
Philanthropy
In 2003, Brown and colleagues published a study titled 'Providing social support may be more beneficial than receiving it: results from a prospective study of mortality'. This is an explicit summary of a wide body of sociology research showing that helping others can reduce stress and improve overall health. Volunteering has been found to have positive effects on both physical and mental health. Even perceptions related to giving, such as feeling a sense of purpose, meaning, belonging, or significance, have been shown to enhance happiness and reduce depression.
To measure the influence of this effect, this indicator lists ten scenarios and asks you to rate whether you have performed any of them in the past 12 months for a significant person in your life. The scenarios are:
Buying groceries.
Driving somewhere.
Other errands.
Housework or gardening.
Babysitting.
Housesitting or petsitting.
Loaning money.
Moving house.
House repairs or DIY.
Close support while sick.
