Woooo! We finally submitted our master project at the beginning of today! Such a long paper. I cannot believe that we actually complete it within such a short time period. Congratulations to ourselves! Haha!

Cover:

First and foremost, here is the special-designed cover for this project. Well, it is not so good (perhaps economics has killed most of my design cells in my brain, sigh), but uniquely related to our project.

The graph is not any random one, but the one generated for this master thesis! On the back side of the cover there is an explanation:
And, yes, let’s enlarge part of it and have a look at the links!

Yes, the illustrations are both based on real social networks. The front one is a social network graph constructed from a real SMS network; the back one reflects the co-authorships among economists affiliated to BGSE/UPF. They look like blooming flowers, right? How wonderful and beautiful information is!

Download:

The simulation part of this paper with several interesting graphs is available to be downloaded here: Master Project -_simulations.pdf

Summary:

After all, I would like to summarize and introduce our project briefly.

In one sentence,  it is a nice combination of social network theories and public health issues (HIV/AIDS), and we construct the analysis both from the theoretical (network learning)  and empirical (network estimation) angles.

Title: Expectations and the Social Network: Modeling Health Risk Perception among U.S. Adolescents

Author:  Liyun Chen and Mahesh Karra (Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Abstract:

This study aims to examine the determinants of HIV/AIDS risk perceptions and resultant sexual behavior among adolescents. We investigate the learning and decision-making process through which teenagers may update their risk beliefs, and argue that social interactions play an important role in understanding both phenomena. In particular, we hypothesize that social networks and peer risk perception of HIV/AIDS directly impact respondent risk perception and, consequently, risk behavior. We propose a theoretical framework in order to identify the mechanisms through which individual risk perceptions may respond to peer attitudes and social beliefs. Using friendship network data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we design an empirical strategy and test these channels. We conclude that many determinants of risk behavior are unobserved and may simultaneously affect both perceptions of risk and the size, composition, and selection of individuals’ social networks, particularly in the case of HIV/AIDS risk among teenagers. Social networks may have significant and substantial effects on adolescents’ AIDS risk perceptions; thus, in order to fully understand the dynamics and diffusion of behavioral change in response to AIDS, it is essential to incorporate the necessary network effects. Any network interactions are likely to have a substantial impact on the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the magnitude of its consequences, particularly among the youth; these effects should consequently be taken into consideration when devising effective, targeted policy interventions.

Moreover, this time my co-author is pretty ambitious, and we are expecting these following policy implications:

Although our approach may show some promise in establishing the role of social network analysis in sexual health policy and advocacy among the youth, there are still many operational and methodological barriers which may confound any potential health intervention’s true network effect. Nevertheless, any findings are of central importance for understanding the spread of HIV/AIDS because they reinforce that social interactions constitute important determinants of how adolescents and youth communities develop strategies for coping with the disease. In particular, this study hopes to show that social networks exert significant influences on risk perceptions and the probability of adolescent communication about HIV/AIDS risks, and that these effects are in addition to any programmatic interventions that disseminate knowledge about the disease, provide access to sexual health services, and advocate changes in sexual behaviors. Moreover, we see that social networks are also likely to amplify program efforts aimed at increasing teenagers’ awareness of HIV/AIDS and their assessments of
their own risks. Any network interactions are likely to have a substantial impact on the course of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and themagnitude of its consequences, particularly for the youth; these effects must therefore be taken into consideration when devising effective, targeted interventions.

Overall, the cover looks like…a book? Haha. Otherwise it won’t have a cover