SOCIAL POSITIONS IN INFLUENCE NETWORKS

In this article we derive implications about social positions from a f ormal theory of social influence. The formal theory describes how, in a group of actors with heterogeneous initial opinions, a network of in terpersonal influences enters into the formation of actors' settled op inions. We derive the following conclusions about a special form of st ructural equivalence. If actors are structurally equivalent in the net work of interpersonal influences, then any dissimilarity of their init ial opinions is reduced by the social influence process, If the social positions of actors are identical, i.e. if they have identical initia l opinions and are structurally equivalent in the influence network, t hen they have identical opinions at equilibrium. If actors are not str ucturally equivalent in the network of interpersonal influences, then the social influence process does not necessarily reduce dissimilariti es of initial opinions. We extend our analysis to consider automorphic equivalence.