The study aimed to construct the network of social relations among pre-school students and evaluate the methods used for the collection and analysis of data. The study involved seventeen children from a private school in Belém, Pará. The data were collected using sociometric tests and behavioral observations. Group structure was analyzed through the network of social relations, constructed by the Minimum Spanning Trees (Graphs Theory). The results demonstrated preferences for different partners when comparing sociometric tests and interactive behavior. The two measures were considered complementary. The results support the use of Graphs Theory as a means of analyzing a social phenomenon both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Social relations; Social interaction; Sociometric test; Graphs theory
