Social InteractionNCT02217748
Name Generator Order Effects in Social Networks
A study testing Survey questionnaire in people with Social Interaction, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in Uganda.
Trial summary
The objective of our study was to determine the extent to which the order of specific items in a multiple name generator survey affects how social networks are measured. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Social Interaction
- What is being tested?
- Survey questionnaire
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,557 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUganda
- Study dates
- Jul 2014to Jun 2015
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18 years and older
- Emancipated minors aged 16-18 years
- Considers Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence
- Capable of providing informed consent
Who cannot join
- Minors younger than 18 years, with the exception of emancipated minors
- Does not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence
- Unable to communicate with research staff, e.g., due to deafness, mutism, or aphasia
- Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or an intelligence quotient less than 70, as determined in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Understanding Name Generator Order Effects When Eliciting Social Networks in Rural Uganda: A Randomized Controlled Trial
The objective of our study was to determine the extent to which the order of specific items in a multiple name generator survey affects how social networks are measured.
Read the detailed description
Interpersonal relationships are one feature of the social environment that have been shown to have important influences on health and health behaviors (Berkman et al., 2000; Berkman \& Syme, 1979) and mental health (Tsai et al., 2014). While the majority of these studies have been conducted in resource-rich settings, studies conducted in resource-limited settings have similarly demonstrated associations between social networks and health (Perkins, Subramanian, \& Christakis, 2014). In this literature, the tie between two persons is the important unit of measurement. Classically, the social tie is typically elicited using a "name generator" survey that inquires about ties based on the affective content of the relationship (Laumann, 1966; Wellman, 1979) or normative bonds such as kinship ties (Kleiner \& Parker, 1976).
Another popular approach to eliciting social ties has employed multiple name generators inquiring about specific types of interactions, such as discussions about important matters or exchanges of money (Burt, 1984; Marsden, 1987; McCallister \& Fischer, 1978). These types of name generators have strong face validity, are less likely to be subjectively interpreted in different ways by different respondents, and are therefore likely to be more reliable. These are accompanied by a heavy respondent burden, however, and single-item name generators may perform comparably to multiple name generators only under limited circumstances (Marin \& Hampton, 2007). It remains unclear, however, whether the order of name generators may affect study participant responses. While no studies have examined this empirically, there is a broad literature on public opinion polling suggesting that alternative specifications of question ordering can have important effects on respondents' answers (McFarland, 1981).
- Conditions
- Social Interaction
- Being tested
- Survey questionnaire
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Survey questionnaireOther
Also called Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Survey questionnaire version 1 | Experimental | Name generator order: leisure, money, support Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Survey questionnaire version 2 | Experimental | Name generator order: leisure, support, money Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Survey questionnaire version 3 | Experimental | Name generator order: money, leisure, support Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Survey questionnaire version 4 | Experimental | Name generator order: money, support, leisure Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Survey questionnaire version 5 | Experimental | Name generator order: support, leisure, money Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
| Survey questionnaire version 6 | Experimental | Name generator order: support, money, leisure Receives: Other: Survey questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of social ties elicited by a specific name generator
Measured: Baseline
Number of social ties elicited by the composite name generator
Measured: Baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Aug 2014 (estimated)
- Study startJul 2014
- Primary completionJun 2015
- Study completionJun 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Social InteractionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 1,557 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Alexander Tsai, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Alexander C Tsai, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General HospitalBernard Kakuhikire, MBA, Principal investigator, Mbarara University of Science and Technology
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02217748
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- MH096620-S2
- Status last verified
- Nov 2015
- First submitted
- 13 Aug 2014
- Last updated
- 2 Dec 2015
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 2 Dec 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Understanding Name Generator Order Effects When Eliciting Social Networks in Rural Uganda: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02217748
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MH096620-S2
- Conditions
- Social Interaction
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,557 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology
- Study start
- Jul 2014
- Primary completion
- Jun 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jun 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Aug 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The objective of our study was to determine the extent to which the order of specific items in a multiple name generator survey affects how social networks are measured.
Detailed description
Interpersonal relationships are one feature of the social environment that have been shown to have important influences on health and health behaviors (Berkman et al., 2000; Berkman \& Syme, 1979) and mental health (Tsai et al., 2014). While the majority of these studies have been conducted in resource-rich settings, studies conducted in resource-limited settings have similarly demonstrated associations between social networks and health (Perkins, Subramanian, \& Christakis, 2014). In this literature, the tie between two persons is the important unit of measurement. Classically, the social tie is typically elicited using a "name generator" survey that inquires about ties based on the affective content of the relationship (Laumann, 1966; Wellman, 1979) or normative bonds such as kinship ties (Kleiner \& Parker, 1976).
Another popular approach to eliciting social ties has employed multiple name generators inquiring about specific types of interactions, such as discussions about important matters or exchanges of money (Burt, 1984; Marsden, 1987; McCallister \& Fischer, 1978). These types of name generators have strong face validity, are less likely to be subjectively interpreted in different ways by different respondents, and are therefore likely to be more reliable. These are accompanied by a heavy respondent burden, however, and single-item name generators may perform comparably to multiple name generators only under limited circumstances (Marin \& Hampton, 2007). It remains unclear, however, whether the order of name generators may affect study participant responses. While no studies have examined this empirically, there is a broad literature on public opinion polling suggesting that alternative specifications of question ordering can have important effects on respondents' answers (McFarland, 1981).
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 6
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Survey questionnaire version 1 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: leisure, money, support |
| Survey questionnaire version 2 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: leisure, support, money |
| Survey questionnaire version 3 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: money, leisure, support |
| Survey questionnaire version 4 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: money, support, leisure |
| Survey questionnaire version 5 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: support, leisure, money |
| Survey questionnaire version 6 | Experimental | Other: Survey questionnaireName generator order: support, money, leisure |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Adults aged 18 years and older
- Emancipated minors aged 16-18 years
- Considers Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence
- Capable of providing informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Minors younger than 18 years, with the exception of emancipated minors
- Does not consider Nyakabare Parish their primary place of residence
- Unable to communicate with research staff, e.g., due to deafness, mutism, or aphasia
- Persons with psychosis, neurological damage, acute intoxication, or an intelligence quotient less than 70, as determined in the field by non-clinical research staff in consultation with a supervisor
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Survey questionnaireAlso: Each of the survey questionnaires administers the name generators in a different order | Other | Survey questionnaire version 1, Survey questionnaire version 2, Survey questionnaire version 3, Survey questionnaire version 4, Survey questionnaire version 5, Survey questionnaire version 6 |
Primary outcome
Number of social ties elicited by a specific name generator
Time frame: Baseline
Number of social ties elicited by the composite name generator
Time frame: Baseline
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 2 Dec 2015.
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Healthy Adult Participants
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Alexander C Tsai, MD, PhD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
Bernard Kakuhikire, MBA principal investigator
Mbarara University of Science and Technology
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Survey questionnaire in people with Social Interaction, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in Uganda.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Dec 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Uganda. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of social ties elicited by a specific name generator (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Dec 2015.