It was developed by psychotherapist Jacob L. Moreno and Helen Hall Jennings in their studies of the relationship between social structures and psychological well-being, and used during Remedial Teaching.
He states: "The chief methodological task of sociometry has been the revision of the experimental method so that it can be applied effectively to social phenomena."
[4] Moreno, who wrote extensively of his thinking, applications and findings, also founded a journal entitled Sociometry.
Applied sociometrists utilize a range of methods to assist people and groups review, expand and develop their existing psycho-social networks of relationships.
"[5]: 39 Other criteria include the rule of adequate motivation: "Every participant should feel about the experiment that it is in his (or her) own cause ... that it is an opportunity for him (or her) to become an active agent in matters concerning his (or her) life situation."
Freeware as well as commercial software was developed for analysis of groups and their structure, such as Gephi, Pajek, Keyhubs or InFlow.