Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) is a flexible tool for the exploration and estimation of sparse factor loading structures; that is, most cross-loading entries are zero and only a few important cross-loadings are nonzero. The current investigation was focused on the BSEM with small-variance normal distribution priors (BSEM-N) for both…

The study aims to examine the interplay of two critical constructs in evaluation: essential evaluator competency and evaluator practice. The research questions in this study, according to Smith (2008), are essentially, what he defined as "fundamental issues in evaluation." These issues fall into one or multiple of the four aspects…

When item scores are ordered categorical, categorical omega can be computed based on the parameter estimates from a factor analysis model using frequentist estimators such as diagonally weighted least squares. When the sample size is relatively small and thresholds are different across items, using diagonally weighted least squares can yield a…

To better understand the writing skills of juvenile offenders and the components of their writing abilities, this study explored extant data from six measures of adolescents' writing skills administered upon their entrance into a juvenile justice facility. Overall, the 235 students (ages 13-16; Grades 5-11) exhibited low scores on all writing…

Bayesian algorithms have been used successfully in the social and behavioral sciences to analyze dichotomous data particularly with complex structural equation models. In this study, we investigate the use of the Polya-Gamma data augmentation method with Gibbs sampling to improve estimation of structural equation models with dichotomous variables.…

Popular teamwork assessments have been strongly criticized on the grounds of poor psychometric properties and their disconnect with conceptual models of teamwork. These issues raise concerns with respect to our ability to evaluate efforts devoted to advancing teamwork in academia. We report the development of a teamwork assessment that builds on…

Statistical analyses investigating latent structure can be divided into those that estimate structural model parameters and those that detect the structural model type. The most basic distinction among structure types is between categorical (discrete) and dimensional (continuous) models. It is a common, and potentially misleading, practice to…

Objective: Two studies examined the validity of using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) to assess growth following the transition to grandparenthood as an aid for social workers seeking to promote strengths-based interventions for this population. Method: In Study 1 (n = 210 grandparent/offspring pairs), first-time grandparents'…

Bi-factor analysis is a form of confirmatory factor analysis originally introduced by Holzinger and Swineford ("Psychometrika" 47:41-54, 1937). The bi-factor model has a general factor, a number of group factors, and an explicit bi-factor structure. Jennrich and Bentler ("Psychometrika" 76:537-549, 2011) introduced an exploratory form of bi-factor…

Psychometrically sound evaluation measures are vital for examining the contribution of professional training to organizational success in a reliable manner. As training evaluations tend to be both time-consuming and labor-intensive, there is an increasing demand for economic evaluation inventories. Simultaneously, evaluation measures have to meet…

The current study tested several competing models of the autism phenotype using data from modules 1 and 3 of the ADOS. Participants included individuals with ASDs aged 3-18 years (N = 1,409) from the AGRE database. Confirmatory factor analyses were performed on total samples and subsamples based on age and level of functioning. Three primary…

Purpose: A new measure of sportspersonship, which differentiates between compliance and principled approaches, was developed and initially validated in 3 studies. Method: Study 1 developed items, assessed content validity, and proposed a model. Study 2 tested the factorial validity of the model on an independent sample. Study 3 further tested the…

In an effort to understand how school boards in America's K-12 school system function, a research collaboration was undertaken among four agencies: the National School Boards Association, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, the Iowa Association of School Boards, and the Wallace Foundation. These groups joined effort to conduct research on school…

There is a lack of research on the effects of outliers on the decisions about the number of factors to retain in an exploratory factor analysis, especially for outliers arising from unintended and unknowingly included subpopulations. The purpose of the present research was to investigate how outliers from an unintended and unknowingly included…

This paper focuses on the development and study of a framework to provide direction and guidance for practicing teachers in using a web-based case studies program for professional development in early reading; the program is called Case Studies Reading Lessons (CSRL). The framework directs and guides teachers' analysis of reading instruction by…