Testing Dyadic Mechanisms the Right Way

Abstract

Successfully managing and navigating romantic relationships is a key developmental task of emerging adulthood. While researchers increasingly use statistical analyses to accommodate the interdependent nature of romantic relationship data, there are very few applications and primers for comprehensively investigating moderation effects, especially in the structural equation modeling framework. The current article illustrates the application and extension of a dyadic analytical technique, the actor–partner interdependence model, to the study of romantic relationships in emerging adulthood, with a particular emphasis on testing different types of moderators (between-dyads, within-dyads, and mixed) and specifying latent variable interactions. We draw on concrete examples of various moderation hypotheses by examining the association between internalizing problems and threatening behaviors in dating couples. Finally, we conclude the article with suggestions for future directions.