The decomposition of the overall effect of a treatment into direct and indirect effects is here investigated with reference to a recursive system of binary random variables. We show how, for the single mediator context, the marginal effect measured on the log odds scale can be written as the sum of the indirect and direct effects plus a residual…

Structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analysis using composite-scores are distinct classes of methods for modeling the relationship of theoretical constructs. The two classes of methods are integrated in the partial-least-squares approach to structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), which systematically generates weighted composites and uses…

Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been deemed as a proper method when variables contain measurement errors. In contrast, path analysis with composite-scores is preferred for prediction and diagnosis of individuals. While path analysis with composite-scores has been criticized for yielding biased parameter estimates, recent literature pointed…

Mediation analysis plays an important role in understanding causal processes in social and behavioral sciences. While path analysis with composite scores was criticized to yield biased parameter estimates when variables contain measurement errors, recent literature has pointed out that the population values of parameters of latent-variable models…

We develop a structural after measurement (SAM) method for structural equation models (SEMs) that accommodates missing data. The results show that the proposed SAM missing data estimator outperforms conventional full information (FI) estimators in terms of convergence, bias, and root-mean-square-error in small-to-moderate samples or large samples…

This meta-analytic path analysis presents evidence that first-year academic performance (FYAP), measured by first-year grade point average (FYGPA) plays the major role in determining second-year student retention and that socioeconomic status (SES), measured by parental income, plays a negligible role. Based on large sample data used in a previous…

Path models with observed composites based on multiple items (e.g., mean or sum score of the items) are commonly used to test interaction effects. Under this practice, researchers generally assume that the observed composites are measured without errors. In this study, we reviewed and evaluated two alternative methods within the structural…

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the determinants of sugary drink consumption among overweight and obese adults attempting to lose weight using the Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction (IMB). Design: Cross-sectional design. Method: Determinants of behavioural intentions (attitudes, perceived norms and perceived…

In the study, the effect of school principals' authentic leadership behaviors on teachers' perceptions of school culture was tested with the structural equation model. The study was carried out with the correlation research design. Authentic leadership behavior was taken as the independent variable, and school culture was taken as the dependent…

This study sought to examine the development of paragraph writing skills of 116 English as a second language university students over the course of 12 weeks and the relationship between the linguistic features of students' written texts as measured by Coh-Metrix--a computational system for estimating textual features such as cohesion and…

Online learning is becoming more attractive to perspective students because it offers them greater accessibility, convenience and flexibility to study at a reduced cost. While these benefits may attract prospective learners to embark on an online learning environment there remains little empirical evidence relating the skills and traits of…

This study examined (a) whether a developmental model or a model in which all subscales' measurement errors are correlated best explains the relationships among White racial identity (WRI) statuses, and (b) social problem-solving (SPS) skills as a predictor of WRI. Path analysis was conducted with a sample of 255 White undergraduate students from…

The sampling variability and zeta-values of parameter estimates for misspecified structural equation models were examined. A Monte Carlo study was used. Results are discussed in terms of asymptotic theory and the implications for the practice of structural equation models. (SLD)

A statistical model for relating latent variables from manifest variables, called a linear structural equation model, is presented. The approach is illustrated by a test theory model and longitudianl study of intelligence. (Author/JKS)

An empirical sampling approach was used to assess the accuracy of a Taylor approximation for the estimation of sampling errors. The sampling errors were in the statistics involved in estimating a path model based on medium-sized samples gathered using five sample designs commonly used in educational research. (TJH)