The common fate model for dyadic data: variations of a theoretically important but underutilized model

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Quantitative Psychology
• Relationship Science

Background:

• Dyadic research often involves shared influences affecting both partners.
• The common fate model (CFM) is a standard approach for modeling these shared influences.
• Existing CFM methods may require refinement for specific dyadic structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address conceptual and statistical issues in the standard common fate model (CFM).
• To present and illustrate variations of the CFM using structural equation modeling (SEM).
• To integrate CFM with the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) for hybrid dyadic analyses.

Main Methods:

• Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) for estimating CFM variations.
• Multilevel SEM for dyads with indistinguishable members (e.g., same-sex couples).
• Integration of CFM and APIM concepts to form hybrid models.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of CFM variations and their estimation via SEM.
• Application of multilevel SEM for specific dyadic contexts.
• Illustration of hybrid models combining CFM and APIM principles using heterosexual couple data.

Conclusions:

• The presented CFM variations and methods offer advanced tools for dyadic research.
• Multilevel SEM provides a flexible approach for analyzing various dyadic structures.
• Hybrid models enhance the capacity to model complex interdependence within dyads.