Inference with Dyadic Data: Asymptotic Behavior of the Dyadic-Robust t-Statistic

Abstract: This paper is concerned with inference in the linear model with dyadic data. Dyadic data is data that is indexed by pairs of "units", for example trade data between pairs of countries. Because of the potential for observations with a unit in common to be correlated, standard inference procedures may not perform as expected. We establish a range of conditions under which a t-statistic with the dyadic-robust variance estimator of Fafchamps and Gubert (2007) is asymptotically normal. Using our theoretical results as a guide, we perform a simulation exercise to study the validity of the normal approximation, as well as the performance of a novel finite-sample correction. We conclude with guidelines for applied researchers wishing to use the dyadic-robust estimator for inference.