Small world phenomenon revisited

by: Georgi Stankov

Stanley Milgram (1933 - 1984)

We are happy to present the new initiative of Open School Psychology, the psychological division of The Garden Association: Milgram's small world revisited. 

"Small world revisited" is a project, inspired by Stanley Milgram's classical social networks' experiment, known as "Small world phenomenon" or "Six degrees of separation". 

Milgram found out that between two distinct (both in physical also social terms) persons there are average six degrees of separation, e.g. John could reach Tom in six steps (1st - acquaintance, 2nd - acquaintance's acquaintance, 3rd - acquaintance of acquaintance's acquaintance, and so on). Our team of students, led by Georgi Stankov, will revisit and retest Milgram's experiment, by adapting it to today's conditions.

In the 1960s there was not internet, so Milgram made his experiment through the offline networks. The social scientists of the time did not think that in few decades there will be a powerful alternative for establishing and maintaining relationships, as well for exploration of the social bonds between people. But today the majority of people use the Internet to communicate quickly and easily, relationships became more informal, and as result locations or distances stopped having importance.  Now, in 2012, we try to research the online social networks and how they link people.