This article discusses how the directionality of friendship ties affects individuals’ ability to influence each other’s behavior. The research shows that people often misperceive the direction of their friendship ties, leading to limited engagement in cooperative efforts. The study reveals that only about half of reported friendships are reciprocal, challenging the common expectation of reciprocity. The findings suggest that leveraging topological features of the perceived friendship network, such as social embeddedness and centrality, can enhance the effectiveness of promoting behavioral change. The study highlights the significance of understanding friendship dynamics in designing interventions for collective action and peer support programs.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0151588