Popularity

In sociology, popularity is how much a person, idea, place, item or other concept is either liked or accorded status^[1]^[2] by other people. Liking can be due to reciprocal liking, interpersonal attraction, and similar factors. Social status can be due to dominance, superiority, and similar factors. For example, a kind person may be considered likable and therefore more popular than another person, and a wealthy person may be considered superior and therefore more popular than another person.

There are two primary types of interpersonal popularity: perceived and sociometric. Perceived popularity is measured by asking people who the most popular or socially important people in their social group^[3] are. Sociometric popularity is measured by objectively measuring the number of connections a person has to others in the group.^[4] A person can have high perceived popularity without having high sociometric popularity, and vice versa.

According to psychologist Tessa Lansu at the Radboud University Nijmegen, "Popularity [has] to do with being the middle point of a group and having influence on it."^[5]

^ Massachusetts Dept. of Corporations and Taxation (1932). Annual Report of the Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation (Report). University of Michigan. p. 101.
^ S, Waisbord (2004). "McTV: Understanding the Global Popularity of Television Formats". Television & New Media. 5 (4): 359–383. doi:10.1177/1527476404268922. S2CID 220732538.
^ Ellison, Nicole B.; Steinfield, Charles; Lampe, Cliff (July 2007). "The Benefits of Facebook "Friends:" Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites". Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 12 (4): 1143–1168. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x.
^ Zuckerman, E.W.; Jost, J.T. (2001). "What Makes You Think You're so Popular? Self-Evaluation Maintenance and the Subjective Side of the "Friendship Paradox"". Social Psychology Quarterly. 64 (3): 207–223. doi:10.2307/3090112. JSTOR 3090112.
^ "Popularity an unconscious deterrent".^{[permanent dead link]}

[1] Massachusetts Dept. of Corporations and Taxation (1932). Annual Report of the Commissioner of Corporations and Taxation (Report). University of Michigan. p. 101.

[2] S, Waisbord (2004). "McTV: Understanding the Global Popularity of Television Formats". Television & New Media. 5 (4): 359–383. doi:10.1177/1527476404268922. S2CID 220732538.

[3] Ellison, Nicole B.; Steinfield, Charles; Lampe, Cliff (July 2007). "The Benefits of Facebook "Friends:" Social Capital and College Students' Use of Online Social Network Sites". Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 12 (4): 1143–1168. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00367.x.

[4] Zuckerman, E.W.; Jost, J.T. (2001). "What Makes You Think You're so Popular? Self-Evaluation Maintenance and the Subjective Side of the "Friendship Paradox"". Social Psychology Quarterly. 64 (3): 207–223. doi:10.2307/3090112. JSTOR 3090112.

[:0-5] "Popularity an unconscious deterrent".^{[permanent dead link]}

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