Doing more with less: The analytical secrets of dyadic data

A strong focus on the individual and a reliance on standard statistical methods such as analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple regression seems to be the norm in marketing research. The dyadic approach to data analysis in under-appreciated, although dyadic research is becoming more common in the social and behavioural sciences. However, a dyadic approach to data analysis is seldom utilised in marketing and consumer behaviour research. The core interest in a dyadic design is the analysis of the relationship between the dyad members. This is rather different to a regular individual design where the interest lies in independent replication. The most common dyadic design is one in which two persons are measured on the same set of variables (Alferes & Kenny, 2009). To illustrate the dyadic approach to data analysis, this study looks at the relationships between parents' and children's view of each others knowledge about computer related products.