Role of social networks in resilience of naval recruits: a quantitative analysis

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is to make a connection between the positive energy levels of Navy recruits and their resilience. We also want to understand the patterns of social networks that might help identify and improve resilience. This study hypothesizes that groups receiving positively framed resilience interventions were more likely to show higher levels of resilience than control groups. Data for this project comes from the Navy's Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes and comprises 1,297 total surveys from a total of eight divisions of recruits at two different time periods. Quantitative analyses using surveys and network data examine the effects of positive energy on recruit resilience within the social networks. The findings of this research suggest that there is a relationship between positive energy networks and resilience. This research serves as a foundation for future research on social networks in the U.S. Navy and provides some recommendations for future work to extend the study on resilience.