Relational Event Modeling

Instructor: Andy Pilny

This mini-module provides a non-technical introduction to relational event modeling (REM). This is important because most tools for social network analysis examine relational states, otherwise known as enduring and stable ties like flows, similarities, affinities, and roles. However, it is also important to consider relational events, otherwise known as episodic and interactional events from a sender to a target, measured at a specific timestamp or ordered level. Many communication forms, from emails, Tweets, Facebook likes, to conversational turn-taking, can be viewed under a relational event framework. The current mini-module outlines REM, which is used to determine the dominant sequential patterns underlying a relational event history using the R program relevent. The workshop will cover a brief history of REM, tutorial source code, example data, and limitations.

Data and slides:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AFad9sE_UUr76rjWit1gHicbwnUMmG-W

Supplemental readings:

A good tutorial of relevent

Butts, C. T., & Marcum, C. S. (2017). A relational event approach to modeling behavioral dynamics. In A. Pilny & M.S. Poole (Eds.) Group Processes (pp. 51-92). New York: Springer.

Empirical example for group research

Pilny, A., Schecter, A., Poole, M.S., & Contractor, N. (2016). An illustration of the relational event model to analyze group interaction processes. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, 20(3), 181-195. doi:10.1037/gdn0000054