Associations between social network characteristics and daily social experiences in later life: Evidence from ecological momentary assessment

Clicks: 26
ID: 328908
2026
Free PDF
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal
Emerging

Ranked #45 of 133 articles by views in the journals of gerontology series b, psychological sciences and social sciences

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 133 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Sign in to mint
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Sociological theory posits that social networks function as enduring relational structures that constrain and enable everyday social interactions, yet empirical evidence linking network properties to real-time social exposures remains limited. To address this gap, this study examines how older adults' social networks are associated with their daily social experiences. METHODS: Using data from the Social Environment and Cognitive Health in Urban and Rural Areas (SECHURA) study, we combine egocentric network data (1,474 alters from 254 respondents) with ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data capturing real-time social interactions over one week (5,342 observations). We evaluate associations between three network properties-structure (quantity, composition, and interconnectedness of network members), heterogeneity (diversity in gender, race/ethnicity, and age), and strength (strong and supportive ties) - and four momentary outcomes (number and type of interaction partners, social activities, and being outside the home). RESULTS: Random-effects models show that larger and more socially diverse networks are associated with greater momentary social engagement, including more interaction partners, less time alone, and more explicit socializing. Both role diversity and network density are associated with heightened social exposure, through distinct pathways. Sociodemographic heterogeneity also predicts interaction patterns, with age heterogeneity linked to kin-centered interactions and racial heterogeneity to non-kin exposure. Stronger affective ties predicted less engagement in explicit socializing. DISCUSSION: Personal social networks operate as critical structures linked to the quantity, composition, and context of older adults' real-time social exposures. Large, densely connected, and role-diverse networks appear to facilitate everyday interactions through different mechanisms.
Reference Key
openalex_W7213413753 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Brea L Perry, Tianyao Qu, Siyun Peng, Adam R. Roth
Are you one of these authors? Claim your profile
Journal the journals of gerontology series b, psychological sciences and social sciences
Year 2026
DOI
10.1093/geronb/gbag196
URL
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbag196
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.