Political Analysis Advance Access originally published online on May 18, 2005
Political Analysis 2006 14(1):63-82; doi:10.1093/pan/mpi014
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Understanding Interaction Models: Improving Empirical Analyses
New York University, Department of Politics, 726 Broadway, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10003
University of Michigan, Center for Political Studies, ISR 4202 Box 1248, 426 Thompson Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248
Florida State University, Department of Political Science, 531 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2230
e-mail: thomas.brambor{at}nyu.edu
e-mail: wrclark{at}umich.edu
e-mail: matt.golder{at}nyu.edu (corresponding author)
Multiplicative interaction models are common in the quantitative political science literature. This is so for good reason. Institutional arguments frequently imply that the relationship between political inputs and outcomes varies depending on the institutional context. Models of strategic interaction typically produce conditional hypotheses as well. Although conditional hypotheses are ubiquitous in political science and multiplicative interaction models have been found to capture their intuition quite well, a survey of the top three political science journals from 1998 to 2002 suggests that the execution of these models is often flawed and inferential errors are common. We believe that considerable progress in our understanding of the political world can occur if scholars follow the simple checklist of dos and don'ts for using multiplicative interaction models presented in this article. Only 10% of the articles in our survey followed the checklist.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  D. J. Brule and L. K. Williams Democracy and Diversion: Government Arrangements, the Economy, and Dispute Initiation Journal of Peace Research, November 1, 2009; 46(6): 777 - 798. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Charron Government Quality and Vertical Power-Sharing in Fractionalized States Publius, September 1, 2009; 39(4): 585 - 605. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. A. Dulio and P. F. Trumbore Running on Iraq or Running from Iraq? Conditional Issue Ownership in the 2006 Midterm Elections Political Research Quarterly, June 1, 2009; 62(2): 230 - 243. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Gilardi, K. Fuglister, and S. Luyet Learning From Others: The Diffusion of Hospital Financing Reforms in OECD Countries Comparative Political Studies, April 1, 2009; 42(4): 549 - 573. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. E. Transue, D. J. Lee, and J. H. Aldrich Treatment Spillover Effects across Survey Experiments Political Analysis, April 1, 2009; 17(2): 143 - 161. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Radin Too Ill to Find the Cure?: Corruption, Institutions, and Health Care Sector Performance in the New Democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union East European Politics and Societies, February 1, 2009; 23(1): 105 - 125. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. H. Allen The Domestic Political Costs of Economic Sanctions Journal of Conflict Resolution, December 1, 2008; 52(6): 916 - 944. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Mylonas and N. Roussias When Do Votes Count?: Regime Type, Electoral Conduct, and Political Competition in Africa Comparative Political Studies, November 1, 2008; 41(11): 1466 - 1491. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Tir and M. Jasinski Domestic-Level Diversionary Theory of War: Targeting Ethnic Minorities Journal of Conflict Resolution, October 1, 2008; 52(5): 641 - 664. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Doherty Presidential Rhetoric, Candidate Evaluations, and Party Identification: Can Parties "Own" Values? Political Research Quarterly, September 1, 2008; 61(3): 419 - 433. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. R. Tillman Economic Judgments, Party Choice, and Voter Abstention in Cross-National Perspective Comparative Political Studies, September 1, 2008; 41(9): 1290 - 1309. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Pop-Eleches Crisis in the Eye of the Beholder: Economic Crisis and Partisan Politics in Latin American and East European International Monetary Fund Programs Comparative Political Studies, September 1, 2008; 41(9): 1179 - 1211. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. D. Maestas, L. R. Atkeson, T. Croom, and L. A. Bryant Shifting the Blame: Federalism, Media, and Public Assignment of Blame Following Hurricane Katrina Publius, September 1, 2008; 38(4): 609 - 632. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. J. W. Schudel Corruption and Bilateral Aid: A Dyadic Approach Journal of Conflict Resolution, August 1, 2008; 52(4): 507 - 526. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 C. M. Reenock and B. J. Gerber Political Insulation, Information Exchange, and Interest Group Access to the Bureaucracy J. Public Adm. Res. Theory., July 1, 2008; 18(3): 415 - 440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. Ha Globalization, Veto Players, and Welfare Spending Comparative Political Studies, June 1, 2008; 41(6): 783 - 813. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. R. Cardoso, M. Portela, C. Sa, and F. Alexandre Demand for Higher Education Programs: The Impact of the Bologna Process CESifo Economic Studies, June 1, 2008; 54(2): 229 - 247. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G E Guindon, K Georgiades, and M H Boyle Susceptibility to smoking among South East Asian youth: a multilevel analysis Tob. Control, June 1, 2008; 17(3): 190 - 197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. J. Taylor Strategic Intercameral Behavior and the Sequence of Congressional Lawmaking American Politics Research, May 1, 2008; 36(3): 451 - 474. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Craw Taming the Local Leviathan: Institutional and Economic Constraints on Municipal Budgets Urban Affairs Review, May 1, 2008; 43(5): 663 - 690. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. J. Anderson and M. M. Singer The Sensitive Left and the Impervious Right: Multilevel Models and the Politics of Inequality, Ideology, and Legitimacy in Europe Comparative Political Studies, April 1, 2008; 41(4-5): 564 - 599. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. Schneider and N. Wiesehomeier Rules That Matter: Political Institutions and the Diversity--Conflict Nexus Journal of Peace Research, March 1, 2008; 45(2): 183 - 203. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.-F. Godbout and E. Belanger Economic Voting and Political Sophistication in the United States: A Reassessment Political Research Quarterly, September 1, 2007; 60(3): 541 - 554. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. A. Hathaway Why Do Countries Commit to Human Rights Treaties? Journal of Conflict Resolution, August 1, 2007; 51(4): 588 - 621. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Collins Jr Towards an Integrated Model of the U.S. Supreme Court's Federalism Decision Making Publius, June 30, 2007; (2007) pjm019v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Collins Jr. Lobbyists before the U.S. Supreme Court: Investigating the Influence of Amicus Curiae Briefs Political Research Quarterly, March 1, 2007; 60(1): 55 - 70. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Hellwig and D. Samuels Voting in Open Economies: The Electoral Consequences of Globalization Comparative Political Studies, March 1, 2007; 40(3): 283 - 306. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Souva and D. Rohde Elite Opinion Differences and Partisanship in Congressional Foreign Policy, 1975-1996 Political Research Quarterly, March 1, 2007; 60(1): 113 - 123. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. Grynaviski and B. E. Corrigan Specification Issues in Proximity Models of Candidate Evaluation (with Issue Importance) Political Analysis, October 1, 2006; 14(4): 393 - 420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. R. Clark, M. J. Gilligan, and M. Golder A Simple Multivariate Test for Asymmetric Hypotheses Political Analysis, July 1, 2006; 14(3): 311 - 331. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Bennett and C. Elman Complex Causal Relations and Case Study Methods: The Example of Path Dependence Political Analysis, July 1, 2006; 14(3): 250 - 267. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Mahoney and G. Goertz A Tale of Two Cultures: Contrasting Quantitative and Qualitative Research Political Analysis, July 1, 2006; 14(3): 227 - 249. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|