An Introduction to the Social Relations Model

David A. Kenny

What is the SRM?• model for dyadic measurements

• componential model

• normally dyadic data are ordered such that Xij not necessarily equal to Xji

• focus on random not fixed effects

• allowance for nonindependence

• non-sequential model

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4

Social Relations Model: Components of Perceptions

Bob

Steve

Sue

Ann

5

Social Relations Model: Components of Perceptions

Bob

Steve

Sue

Ann

Bob is friendly

6

Bob

Steve

Sue

Ann

Social Relations Model: Components of Perceptions

Everyone is friendly

Perceiver effect

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Social Relations Model: Components of Perceptions

Bob

Steve

Sue

Ann

Bob is friendly

Bob is friendly

Bob is friendly

Target effect

Hi!! I’m Bob. What’s your

name?

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Bob

Steve

Sue

Ann

Bob looks like friendly to me.

Social Relations Model: Components of Perceptions

Relationship effect

The Two Persons

Social Relations Model: Rating

How Friendly Dave Sees Tom

Actor: How friendly Dave sees others in general.

Partner: How friendly is Tom seen by others in general.

Relationship: How much Dave believes that Tom is especially friendly.

Social Relations Model: Liking

How Much Dave Likes Tom

Actor: How much Dave likes others in general.

Partner: How much Tom is liked by others in general.

Relationship: How much Dave particularly likes Tom.

Social Relations Model: Behavior

How Much Dave Gazes at Tom

Actor: How much Dave gazes at others in general.

Partner: How much Tom is gazed at by others in general.

Relationship: How much Dave particularly gazes at Tom.

Like Two-Way ANOVA

Actor: The “main effect” of the responder.

Partner: The “main effect” of the other.

Relationship: The interaction of actor and partner with the main effects removed.

Focus on Variance

We could estimate particular actor, partner, and relationship effects: For example, Dave’s actor effect.

Within the SRM the focus in not on a particular effect but on the variance in effects.

Other TermsArea Actor PartnerPerson Perception Perceiver TargetNonverbal Receiver Sender

Decoder EncoderPersuasion Receiver SourceAggression Perpetrator VictimSport’s Score Offense Defense

Variance vs. EffectActor Variance

Definition: How different people are people in their actor effects.Actor Effect

Definition: How different a given person’s in how he or she generally responds to others.Example

There is not a lot of actor variance in liking; Dave has a large actor effect.

Other Possible Units

Animalssharksprimateselephantsmice

Tribes (Brewer & Campbell) or CountriesGroups, Organizations, or Teams

SRM Equation

For actor i with partner j in group k:

Xijk = mk + aik + bjk + gijk

Reciprocity Equations

Xijk = mk + aik + bjk + gijk

Xjik = mk + ajk + bik + gjik

Reciprocity Dyadic

Correlation of relationship effects or between gijk with gjik.

Actor-Partner (Generalized or Individual Reciprocity) Correlation of actor and partner effects or between aik with bik.

Sources of SRM Nonindependence

Actor Partner Dyadic Reciprocity

Actor-Partner Reciprocity

Group as a Source of

Nonindependence Similar Scores for members of the same group

Norms, climate, or environment However, typically the effect of groups

with the exception is one of contrast. Members are see as different from each other.

SRM Example: Liking

Liking Actor Partner

Relat. Error

Friendship .15 .14 .40 .31

Dating .12 .26 .32 .30

Variance Partitioning

LikingActor-Partner(Generalized)

Relationship

(Dyad)

Friendship .12 .58Dating -.42 .13

Reciprocity

SRM Example: Liking

Liking Actor Partner

Relat. Error

Friendship .15 .14 .40 .31

Likeability .10 .14 .31 .45

Variance Partitioning

LikingActor-Partner(Generalized)

Relationship

(Dyad)

Friendship .12 .58Likeability .28 .80

Reciprocity

SRM Example: Leadership

Actor Partner

Relat. Error

Leadership .09 .43 .19 .29

Variance Partitioning

Actor-Partner(Generalized)

Relationship

(Dyad)

Leadership .14 .03

Reciprocity

SRM Published Papers

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78-83 84-89 90-95 96-01 02-07 08-13

Suggested Readings

Back, M. D., & Kenny D. A. (2010). The Social Relations Model: How to understand dyadic processes. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 855-870.

Dyadic Data Analysis, Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, Chapters 8 and 9

http://davidakenny.net/doc/srmbiblio.pdf

The End!