An empirical model of dyadic link formation in a network with unobserved heterogeneity

Andreas Dzemski ()
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Andreas Dzemski: Department of Economics, School of Business, Economics and Law, Göteborg University, Postal: P.O Box 640, SE 40530 GÖTEBORG, Sweden, http://www.economics.gu.se

No 698, Working Papers in Economics from University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics

Abstract: I study a dyadic linking model in which agents form directed links that exhibit homophily and reciprocity. A fixed effect approach accounts for unobserved sources of degree heterogeneity. I consider inference with respect to homophily preferences and a reciprocity parameter, as well as a test of model specification. The specification test compares observed transitivity to the transitivity predicted by the dyadic linking model. My test statistics are robust to the incidental parameter problem (Neyman and Scott 1948). This is accomplished by using analytical formulas that approximate the effect of the incidental parameter on the bias and the variance of the test statistics. The approximation is justified under dense large network asymptotics. In an application to favor networks in Indian villages, the model specification test detects that the dyadic linking model underestimates the true transitivity of the network.

Keywords: Network formation; fixed effects; incidental parameter problem; transitive structure; favor networks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C33 C35 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 91 pages
Date: 2017-03, Revised 2018-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ecm and nep-net
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

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