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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Introduction/Introduction.html
Social Relations Model:
Components of Perceptions
Ann
Steve
Bob
Sue
4
Bob is
friendly
Social Relations Model:
Components of Perceptions
Ann
Steve
Bob
Sue
5
Everyone
is friendly
Social Relations Model:
Components of Perceptions
Ann
Steve
Bob
Sue
Perceiver
effect
6
Bob is
friendly
Social Relations Model:
Components of Perceptions
Bob is
friendly
Ann
Steve
Bob is
friendly
Bob
Sue
Hi!! I’m Bob.
What’s your
name?
Target effect
7
Bob looks like
friendly to me.
Social Relations Model:
Components of Perceptions
Ann
Steve
Bob
Sue
Relationship effect
8
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 Terms
Area
Person Perception
Nonverbal
Persuasion
Aggression
Sport’s Score
Actor
Perceiver
Receiver
Decoder
Receiver
Perpetrator
Offense
Partner
Target
Sender
Encoder
Source
Victim
Defense
Variance vs. Effect
Actor 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
Animals
sharks
primates
elephants
mice
Tribes (Brewer & Campbell) or Countries
Groups, 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
Variance Partitioning
Liking
Friendship
Dating
Actor
.15
Partner Relat. Error
.14
.40
.31
.12
.26
.32
.30
Reciprocity
Liking
Friendship
Dating
Actor-Partner
Relationship
(Generalized)
(Dyad)
.12
.58
-.42
.13
SRM Example: Liking
Variance Partitioning
Liking
Friendship
Actor
.15
Likeability
.10
Partner Relat. Error
.14
.40
.31
.14
.31
.45
Reciprocity
Liking
Friendship
Likeability
Actor-Partner
Relationship
(Generalized)
(Dyad)
.12
.58
.28
.80
SRM Example:
Leadership
Variance Partitioning
Leadership
Actor
.09
Partner Relat. Error
.43
.19
.29
Reciprocity
Leadership
Actor-Partner
Relationship
(Generalized)
(Dyad)
.14
.03
SRM Published Papers
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
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!