Understanding War and Peace Through Balance Theory
Author Information
Author(s): Dekker David, Krackhardt David, Doreian Patrick, Krivitsky Pavel N.
Hypothesis
What role do neutral relations play in the consideration of balanced states in a network?
Conclusion
The study finds that neutral ties are important in balancing relations among nations, and the prevalence of balance-driven behavior varies over time.
Supporting Evidence
- Balance theory has been widely used in various fields including sociology and political science.
- The study identifies 18 unique balance correlations for any trichotomous multigraph.
- Results suggest that the prevalence of balance-driven behavior varies over time.
- Neutral ties are considered important in balancing relations among nations.
Takeaway
This study looks at how countries interact with each other, showing that sometimes being neutral is just as important as being friends or enemies.
Methodology
The study uses a model to analyze friendly and hostile relations between countries from 1816 to 2007, applying balance theory to a large dataset.
Limitations
The study does not explore the dynamics of international relations but focuses on balance correlations per year.
Statistical Information
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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