Assessing dependence among subjects’ responses

The aim of this study consists in the definition of a particular subject parameter, whose purpose is to test the dependence among subjects’ responses where the subjects are a couple or a group. In this context a model is proposed. The Response Dependence of Subjects Model (RDSM) treats couples or well-defined small groups as units characterized by two parameters, a location parameter and a dispersion parameter which is a measure of the dependence among subjects’ responses within each group. The binomial function provides a frame of reference for interpreting the dependence parameter. An application of the RDSM with dyadic data is presented.