What is Sociometry? Characteristics, objectives and methods
In different university careers, the subject of sociometry is studied, in one way or another. But what exactly is this research method, what are its characteristics and what are its objectives?
Sociometry is a great unknown to most people, although its birth dates from 1932 and its creator was Jacobo Levy Moreno.
Is a quantitative (numerical) research method used in sociology, social psychology and related fields. Sociometry has allowed to visualize levels of social interaction between members of different groups in educational and professional fields. The sociometric method uses methodological instruments typical of the quantitative approach, such as the survey and the questionnaire, which form the sociometric test.
On the other hand Sociometry was born at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States, where Jacob Levy Moreno resided. This new conceptualization gave rise to the methods that would make sociometry a technique with the capacity to study, diagnose and predict dynamics of group and social interaction, both in groups of few members and in social contexts of much more complexity and size.
Sociometry pursues different objectives and has different uses. The main objectives of sociometry are the following:
• Detect rejected people.
One of the objectives of sociometry is to detect and classify those individuals who suffer greater rejection by the other components of the group.
• Detect isolated people.
Another objective of sociometry is to detect people who consider themselves separated or isolated from the group.
• Analyze group dynamics.
Another opportunity that it offers us to be able to foresee, after studying the dynamics of the group, how it will react and adapt to certain changes.
These three objectives can be found by sociometry in educational and professional contexts, which are the two groups most commonly analyzed by this technique.
The sociometric method developed by Jacob Levy Moreno is commonly used in educational contexts. It is used to have more data and elements of analysis on the level of interaction, sympathy / antipathy and cohesion among peers. It also serves to detect certain positive patterns, or disagreements, that may exist between several of these members, and how these dynamics influence the group.
Finally, the method is used to make forecasts. That is, it can help to visualize the most appropriate and effective dynamics to resolve tensions between participants and stimulate the good dynamics that have already been detected in the past.