Yale University · Social ScienceChristakis Lab
Nicholas A Christakis · New Haven, Connecticut
Research Focus
Dr. Nicholas A Christakis's lab at Yale University focuses on understanding how individuals perceive their social connections in communities, specifically in rural Honduras. The research explores cognitive social maps, which are mental representations of social networks, and how these perceptions impact social and health-related behaviors. The lab's work sheds light on the relationship between cognitive social networks and well-being, particularly in the context of aging and social isolation.
social networkscognitive mapssocial perceptionagingpublic healthinformation diffusionrural communitiessocial isolationsocial support
Research Aims
4AIM 01Ascertain actual and perceived social ties among individuals in rural villages.
AIM 02Compare actual village social ties with members' perceptions of those ties.
AIM 03Assess how perception accuracy depends on tie characteristics.
AIM 04Evaluate if better social perception correlates with the ability to spread information.
Skills the Lab Values
social network analysisdata collectionlongitudinal studiesstatisticsinterview techniquesdata visualizationexperimental designpublic health research
Output against the department
Publications414top 12% of dept.9th of 77
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations52ktop 3% of dept.2nd of 77
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.