The not-so-forbidden triad: Evaluating the assumptions of The Strength of Weak Ties

Abstract

The Strength of Weak Ties is among the most influential social theories of the past 50 years, however it has received mixed empirical support. One possible explanation is that the underlying theoretical mechanism is misspecified. Through a meta-analysis of a diverse corpus of 59 social networks, I show that three hypotheses underlying the strength of weak ties -- no strong tie is a bridge, all bridges are weak ties, and strength and bridgeness are negatively associated -- are unsupported. These findings suggest the need to reject the Strength of Weak Ties as a theory. I discuss how focusing on the strength of bridging ties rather than strong ties, and examining the independent roles of both strength and bridgeness, offer more promising alternatives.