Association between centrality and flourishing trait: analyzing student co-occurrence networks drawn from dining activities

Abstract: Comprehending the association between social capabilities and individual psychological traits is paramount for educational administrators. Presently, many studies heavily depend on online questionnaires and self-reported data, while analysis of the connection between offline social networks and mental health status remains scarce. By leveraging a public dataset encompassing on-campus dining activities over 21 weeks, we establish student co-occurrence networks and closely observe the changes in network topology over time. Empirical analysis shows that the node centralities of the student co-occurrence networks exhibit significantly positive correlation with the enhancement of the flourishing trait within the field of mental well-being. Our findings offer potential guidance for assisting students in maintaining a positive mental health status.