ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

›› 2010, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (8): 1321-1328.

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Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM): A Model for Dyadic Data Analysis

LI Yu-Hui;HUANG Fei   

  1. (1 School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China)
    (2 Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)
    (3 Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China)
  • Received:2010-04-06 Revised:1900-01-01 Online:2010-08-15 Published:2010-08-15
  • Contact: HUANG Fei

Abstract: The dyad is the fundamental unit of interpersonal interaction and interpersonal relations, and the phenomenon laying the dyad is an important topic in social science. The data collected from the dyad is characterized with the interdependence feature of interpersonal relationship, which manifests in the target effect and attracts researches’ interests. The actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) is a simple yet compelling model of dyadic data, which takes the interdependence into consideration and estimates actor effect and target effect simultaneously. There are three kinds of variables according to the sources of variance, between-dyads variables, within-dyads variables and mix variables, and data can be distinct into exchangeable and non-exchangeable one depending on distinguishing variable existing or not. Dyadic data analysis always begins with an analysis of the degree of nonindependence. Then three methods can be used to estimate the effects, pooled regression, multilevel modeling, and structural equation modeling. Next, we illustrate the analysis with LISREL computer program for APIM path analysis without or with latent variables. Finally, the applications of APIM are brief reviewed and future development and implications for relationship research in China are presented.

Key words: dyadic data, Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM), interdependence/nonindependence, distinguishable, indistinguishable