Convoy Model Social Network Mapping

A scale such as the Lubben Social Network Scale produces a quick numerical index of network size and contact from fixed questions, ideal for screening and large surveys. The convoy model instead uses an interactive mapping task in which the respondent places network members in concentric circles by closeness, and the analyst then codes structure, composition, and the support functions of each tie. The convoy approach is far richer and more person-centered but also more time-consuming; the two are complementary, with the scale offering breadth and the convoy offering depth.

The circles represent levels of emotional closeness to the focal person. The inner circle holds the people the respondent feels so close to that it would be hard to imagine life without them, the middle circle holds important but somewhat less close people, and the outer circle holds people who are important but more peripheral. Crucially, placement reflects subjective closeness, not the amount of support a person provides, which is recorded separately. This ordering lets the model distinguish a stable, deeply attached core from a more changeable periphery.

Kahn and Antonucci defined social support as comprising aid, affect, and affirmation. Aid is instrumental help such as care, money, or practical assistance; affect is emotional support, love, and feeling cared for; and affirmation is agreement, advice, and validation of one's views, decisions, and worth. The model codes which of these functions each convoy member provides to and receives from the respondent. Separating the functions allows researchers to see that ties specialize — a spouse may provide all three, a neighbor mainly aid — and that a network's protective value depends on the mix of functions available.