The gateway drug model is a popular conceptualization of a progression most substance users are hypothesized to follow as they try different legal and illegal drugs. Most forms of the gateway hypothesis are that "softer" drugs lead to "harder," illicit drugs. However, the gateway hypothesis has been notably difficult to…

Controversy surrounding the use of race-conscious admissions can be partially resolved with improved empirical knowledge of the effects of racial diversity in educational settings. We use a national sample of law students nested in 64 law schools to test the complex and largely untested theory regarding the effects of educational diversity on…

Criteria for factor identification in factor analysis according to J. Algina (1980) are summarized, and a procedure is presented to determine rotationally underidentified factors by adding restrictors and to carry out the rotation for old and new restrictions and in latent path analysis. Two illustrations are presented. (SLD)

Proposes an extension of the propensity score adjustment method to the analysis of group differences on latent variable models. Uses multiple indicators-multiple causes (MIMIC) structural equation modeling to test hypotheses about treatment group differences. Discusses the role of factorial invariance as it relates to this approach. (SLD)

A commentary is made on a previously published article concerning testing the equivalence of covariance matrices. An error in the previous article (by the same authors) is pointed out and the consequences of the error are discussed. (JKS)

In studies of relatives, conventional multiple regression may not be appropriate because observations are not independent. Obtaining estimates of regression coefficients and correct standard errors from these populations through a structural equation modeling framework is discussed and illustrated with data from twins. (SLD)

The logic and procedures underlying a disturbance term regression test of logical consistency for structural models are reviewed for recursive and nonrecursive designs. It is shown that in a simple three-variable, complete mediational case the test procedure is mathematically equivalent to a part correlation. (Author/LMO)

Canonical correlation analysis is considered to be a general model for bivariate and multivariate statistical methods. Some problems involving assumptions and statistical tests for parameters exist for social science data. A resolution for these problems is presented by treating canonical correlation as a special case of linear structural…

Focuses on developing a systematic characterization of the error forms resulting from model misspecification in single equation models for least squares regression analyses. (Author/DEP)

The strategy for investigating convergent and discriminant test validity, known as the multitrait-multimethod matrix, is investigated. A nonparametric significance testing procedure is suggested and demonstrated. (JKS)

Structural equation modeling is applied in conjunction with constrained monotone distance analysis. These alternative methods are used in an evaluation of a social-psychological model derived from Likert's theory of organizational behavior. (Author/JKS)

Problems in testing main effects in regression analysis when there is interaction are discussed. A method by which main effects can be tested independently of the interaction is developed and compared with the hierarchical method. The method provides control of the type I error rate, but is quite conservative. (Author/JKS)

Demonstrates the use of the well-known Bayes factor in the Bayesian literature for hypothesis testing and model comparison in general two-level structural equation models. Shows that the proposed method is flexible and can be applied to situations with a wide variety of nonnested models. (SLD)

A general statistical model for the multivariate analysis of mean and covariance structures is described. Matrix calculus is used to develop the statistical aspects of one new special case in detail. This special case separates the confounding of principal components and factor analysis. (DEP)

This article presents a didactic discussion on the role of asymptotically independent test statistics and separable hypotheses as they pertain to issues of specification error, power, and model misspecification in the covariance structure modeling framework. A small population study supports the major findings. (SLD)