This paper introduces a novel method for quantifying the social value of interpersonal relationships. Utilizing economic concepts of opportunity cost and scarcity, the authors engineer a behavioral signature of social value across multiple samples (N=1111). This signature, derived from weighted social activities, is used to assess the social value individuals ascribe to specific relationships (parent, friend, acquaintance). Results demonstrate that social value scores correlate with relationship quality and predict decision preferences in various tasks, showcasing strong psychometric properties.

João F. Guassi Moreira, Carolyn Parkinson