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1.
Latent class analysis (LCA) is an increasingly popular tool that researchers can use to identify latent groups in the population underlying a sample of responses to categorical observed variables. LCA is most commonly used in an exploratory fashion whereby no parameters are specified a priori. Although this exploratory approach is reasonable when very little prior research has been conducted in the area under study, it can be very limiting when much is already known about the variables and population. Confirmatory latent class analysis (CLCA) provides researchers with a tool for modeling and testing specific hypotheses about response patterns in the observed variables. CLCA is based on placing specific constraints on the parameters to reflect these hypotheses. The popular and easy-to-use latent variable modeling software package Mplus can be used to conduct a variety of CLCA types using these parameter constraints. This article focuses on the basic principles underlying the use of CLCA, and the Mplus programming code necessary for carrying it out.  相似文献   

2.
A problem central to structural equation modeling is measurement model specification error and its propagation into the structural part of nonrecursive latent variable models. Full-information estimation techniques such as maximum likelihood are consistent when the model is correctly specified and the sample size large enough; however, any misspecification within the model can affect parameter estimates in other parts of the model. The goals of this study included comparing the bias, efficiency, and accuracy of hypothesis tests in nonrecursive latent variable models with indirect and direct feedback loops. We compare the performance of maximum likelihood, two-stage least-squares and Bayesian estimators in nonrecursive latent variable models with indirect and direct feedback loops under various degrees of misspecification in small to moderate sample size conditions.  相似文献   

3.
Valuable methods have been developed for incorporating ordinal variables into structural equation models using a latent response variable formulation. However, some model parameters, such as the means and variances of latent factors, can be quite difficult to interpret because the latent response variables have an arbitrary metric. This limitation can be particularly problematic in growth models, where the means and variances of the latent growth parameters typically have important substantive meaning when continuous measures are used. However, these methods are often applied to grouped data, where the ordered categories actually represent an interval-level variable that has been measured on an ordinal scale for convenience. The method illustrated in this article shows how category threshold values can be incorporated into the model so that interpretation is more meaningful, with particular emphasis given to the application of this technique with latent growth models.  相似文献   

4.
A non-arbitrary method for the identification and scale setting of latent variables in general structural equation modeling is introduced. This particular technique provides identical model fit as traditional methods (e.g., the marker variable method), but it allows one to estimate the latent parameters in a nonarbitrary metric that reflects the metric of the measured indicators. This technique, therefore, is particularly useful for mean and covariance structures (MACS) analyses, where the means of the indicators and latent constructs are of key interest. By introducing this alternative method of identification and scale setting, researchers are provided with an additional tool for conducting MACS analyses that provides a meaningful and nonarbitrary scale for the estimates of the latent variable parameters. Importantly, this tool can be used with single-group single-occasion models as well as with multiple-group models, multiple-occasion models, or both.  相似文献   

5.
We evaluate the performance of the most common estimators of latent Markov (LM) models with covariates in the presence of direct effects of the covariates on the indicators of the LM model. In LM modeling it is common practice not to model such direct effects, ignoring the consequences that might have on the overall model fit and the parameters of interest. However, in the general literature about latent variable modeling it is well known that unmodeled direct effects can severely bias the parameter estimates of the model at hand. We evaluate how the presence of direct effects in?uences the bias and efficiency of the 3 most common estimators of LM models, the 1-step, 2-step, and 3-step approaches. Furthermore, we propose amendments (that were thus far not used in the context of LM modeling) to the 2- and 3-step approaches that make it possible to account for direct effects and eliminate bias as a consequence. This is done by modeling the (possible) direct effects in the first step of the stepwise estimation procedures. We evaluate the proposed estimators through an extensive simulation study, and illustrate them via a real data application. Our results show, first, that the augmented 2-step and 3-step approaches are unbiased and efficient estimators of LM models with direct effects. Second, ignoring the direct effects leads to biased estimates with all existing estimators, the 1-step approach being the most sensitive.  相似文献   

6.
In latent growth modeling, measurement invariance across groups has received little attention. Considering that a group difference is commonly of interest in social science, a Monte Carlo study explored the performance of multigroup second-order latent growth modeling (MSLGM) in testing measurement invariance. True positive and false positive rates in detecting noninvariance across groups in addition to bias estimates of major MSLGM parameters were investigated. Simulation results support the suitability of MSLGM for measurement invariance testing when either forward or iterative likelihood ratio procedure is applied.  相似文献   

7.
In large-scale assessment programs such as NAEP, TIMSS and PISA, students' achievement data sets provided for secondary analysts contain so-called plausible values. Plausible values are multiple imputations of the unobservable latent achievement for each student. In this article it has been shown how plausible values are used to: (1) address concerns with bias in the estimation of certain population parameters when point estimates of latent achievement are used to estimate those population parameters; (2) allow secondary data analysts to employ standard techniques and tools (e.g., SPSS, SAS procedures) to analyse achievement data that contains substantial measurement error components; and (3) facilitate the computation of standard errors of estimates when the sample design is complex. The advantages of plausible values have been illustrated by comparing the use of maximum likelihood estimates and plausible values (PV) for estimating a range of population statistics.  相似文献   

8.
The adaptation of experimental cognitive tasks into measures that can be used to quantify neurocognitive outcomes in translational studies and clinical trials has become a key component of the strategy to address psychiatric and neurological disorders. Unfortunately, while most experimental cognitive tests have strong theoretical bases, they can have poor psychometric properties, leaving them vulnerable to measurement challenges that undermine their use in applied settings. Item response theory–based computerized adaptive testing has been proposed as a solution but has been limited in experimental and translational research due to its large sample requirements. We present a generalized latent variable model that, when combined with strong parametric assumptions based on mathematical cognitive models, permits the use of adaptive testing without large samples or the need to precalibrate item parameters. The approach is demonstrated using data from a common measure of working memory—the N-back task—collected across a diverse sample of participants. After evaluating dimensionality and model fit, we conducted a simulation study to compare adaptive versus nonadaptive testing. Computerized adaptive testing either made the task 36% more efficient or score estimates 23% more precise, when compared to nonadaptive testing. This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that latent variable modeling and adaptive testing can be used in experimental cognitive testing even with relatively small samples. Adaptive testing has the potential to improve the impact and replicability of findings from translational studies and clinical trials that use experimental cognitive tasks as outcome measures.  相似文献   

9.
In structural equation modeling software, either limited-information (bivariate proportions) or full-information item parameter estimation routines could be used for the 2-parameter item response theory (IRT) model. Limited-information methods assume the continuous variable underlying an item response is normally distributed. For skewed and platykurtic latent variable distributions, 3 methods were compared in Mplus: limited information, full information integrating over a normal distribution, and full information integrating over the known underlying distribution. Interfactor correlation estimates were similar for all 3 estimation methods. For the platykurtic distribution, estimation method made little difference for the item parameter estimates. When the latent variable was negatively skewed, for the most discriminating easy or difficult items, limited-information estimates of both parameters were considerably biased. Full-information estimates obtained by marginalizing over a normal distribution were somewhat biased. Full-information estimates obtained by integrating over the true latent distribution were essentially unbiased. For the a parameters, standard errors were larger for the limited-information estimates when the bias was positive but smaller when the bias was negative. For the d parameters, standard errors were larger for the limited-information estimates of the easiest, most discriminating items. Otherwise, they were generally similar for the limited- and full-information estimates. Sample size did not substantially impact the differences between the estimation methods; limited information did not gain an advantage for smaller samples.  相似文献   

10.
A latent variable modeling method for testing criterion correlations with measurement error terms in multicomponent measuring instruments is outlined. The approach is based on an application of the Benjamini–Hochberg multiple testing procedure and can be used when assumptions of validity estimation related procedures need to be examined. The method also allows studying the extent to which criterion validity coefficients might be due to the relationship between a presumed underlying latent construct evaluated by a psychometric scale and a criterion variable, or could be a consequence of the relation between measurement error in the overall scale score and the criterion. The discussed procedure is widely applicable with popular latent variable modeling software, and is illustrated using a numerical example.  相似文献   

11.
This article examines the problem of specification error in 2 models for categorical latent variables; the latent class model and the latent Markov model. Specification error in the latent class model focuses on the impact of incorrectly specifying the number of latent classes of the categorical latent variable on measures of model adequacy as well as sample reallocation to latent classes. The results show that the clarity of remaining latent classes, as measured by the entropy statistic depends on the number of observations in the omitted latent class—but this statistic is not reliable. Specification error in the latent Markov model focuses on the transition probabilities when a longitudinal Guttman process is incorrectly specified. The findings show that specifying a longitudinal Guttman process that is not true in the population impacts other transition probabilities through the covariance matrix of the logit parameters used to calculate those probabilities.  相似文献   

12.
Structural equation modeling (SEM) is now a generic modeling framework for many multivariate techniques applied in the social and behavioral sciences. Many statistical models can be considered either as special cases of SEM or as part of the latent variable modeling framework. One popular extension is the use of SEM to conduct linear mixed-effects modeling (LMM) such as cross-sectional multilevel modeling and latent growth modeling. It is well known that LMM can be formulated as structural equation models. However, one main difference between the implementations in SEM and LMM is that maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is usually used in SEM, whereas restricted (or residual) maximum likelihood (REML) estimation is the default method in most LMM packages. This article shows how REML estimation can be implemented in SEM. Two empirical examples on latent growth model and meta-analysis are used to illustrate the procedures implemented in OpenMx. Issues related to implementing REML in SEM are discussed.  相似文献   

13.
A latent variable modeling approach to evaluate scale reliability under realistic conditions in empirical behavioral and social research is discussed. The method provides point and interval estimation of reliability of multicomponent measuring instruments when several assumptions are violated. These assumptions include missing data, correlated errors, nonnormality, lack of unidimensionality, and data not missing at random. The procedure can be readily used to aid scale construction and development efforts in applied settings, and is illustrated using data from an educational study.  相似文献   

14.
Mediation models are commonly used to identify the mechanisms through which one variable influences another. Among longitudinal mediation methods, latent difference score mediation stands out due to its unique ability to capture nonlinear change over time. However, there is limited information regarding sample size demands to achieve adequate power with this method, resulting in few applications of latent difference score mediation. To address this limitation, the current study presents empirically supported sample size guidelines for 10 common latent difference score mediation structural models and 9 unique population models. The results of this study offer researchers with a set of representative sample estimates that may be used when designing studies or seeking funding.  相似文献   

15.
This paper presents a strategy for specifying latent variable regressions in the hierarchical modeling framework (LVR-HM). This model takes advantage of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach in terms of modeling flexibility—regression among latent variables—and of the HM approach in terms of allowing for more general data structures. A fully Bayesian approach via Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) techniques is applied to the LVR-HM. Through analyzing the data from a longitudinal study of educational achievement, gender difference are explored in the growth of mathematical achievement across grade 7 through grade 10. Allowing for the fact that initial status effect to rates of change may differ for girls and boys, the LVR-HM is specified in a way that rates of change parameters are modeled as a function of initial status parameters and the interaction between initial status and gender.  相似文献   

16.
Change over time often takes on a nonlinear form. Furthermore, change patterns can be characterized by heterogeneity due to unobserved subpopulations. Nonlinear mixed-effects mixture models provide one way of addressing both of these issues. This study attempts to extend these models to accommodate time-unstructured data. We develop methods to fit these models in both the structural equation modeling framework as well as the Bayesian framework and evaluate their performance. Simulations show that the success of these methods is driven by the separation between latent classes. When classes are well separated, a sample of 200 is sufficient. Otherwise, a sample of 1,000 or more is required before parameters can be accurately recovered. Ignoring individually varying measurement occasions can also lead to substantial bias, particularly in the random-effects parameters. Finally, we demonstrate the application of these techniques to a data set involving the development of reading ability in children.  相似文献   

17.
This article compares two statistical approaches for modeling growth across time. The two statistical approaches are the multilevel model (MLM) and latent curve analysis (LCA), which have been proposed to depict change or growth adequately. These two approaches were compared in terms of the estimation of growth profiles represented by the parameters of initial status and the rate of growth. A longitudinal data set obtained from a school‐based substance‐use prevention trial for adolescents was used to illustrate the similarities and differences between the two approaches. The results indicated that the two approaches yielded very compatible results. The parameter estimates associated with regression weights are the same, whereas those associated with variances and covariances are similar. The MLM approach is easier for model specification and is more efficient computationally in yielding results. The LCA approach, however, has the advantage of providing model evaluation, that is, an overall test of goodness of fit, and is more flexible in modeling and hypothesis testing as demonstrated in this study.  相似文献   

18.
A latent variable modeling procedure for examining whether a studied population could be a mixture of 2 or more latent classes is discussed. The approach can be used to evaluate a single-class model vis-à-vis competing models of increasing complexity for a given set of observed variables without making any assumptions about their within-class interrelationships. The method is helpful in the initial stages of finite mixture analyses to assess whether models with 2 or more classes should be subsequently considered as opposed to a single-class model. The discussed procedure is illustrated with a numerical example.  相似文献   

19.
We propose a maximum likelihood framework for estimating finite mixtures of multivariate regression and simultaneous equation models with multiple endogenous variables. The proposed “semi‐parametric” approach posits that the sample of endogenous observations arises from a finite mixture of components (or latent‐classes) of unknown proportions with multiple structural relations implied by the specified model for each latent‐class. We devise an Expectation‐Maximization algorithm in a maximum likelihood framework to simultaneously estimate the class proportions, the class‐specific structural parameters, and posterior probabilities of membership of each observation into each latent‐class. The appropriate number of classes can be chosen using various information‐theoretic heuristics. A data set entailing cross‐sectional observations for a diverse sample of businesses is used to illustrate the proposed approach.  相似文献   

20.
A large literature emphasizes the importance of testing for measurement equivalence in scales that may be used as observed variables in structural equation modeling applications. When the same construct is measured across more than one developmental period, as in a longitudinal study, it can be especially critical to establish measurement equivalence, or invariance, across the developmental periods. Similarly, when data from more than one study are combined into a single analysis, it is again important to assess measurement equivalence across the data sources. Yet, how to incorporate nonequivalence when it is discovered is not well described for applied researchers. Here, we present an item response theory approach that can be used to create scale scores from measures while explicitly accounting for nonequivalence. We demonstrate these methods in the context of a latent curve analysis in which data from two separate studies are combined to estimate a single longitudinal model spanning several developmental periods.  相似文献   

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