Introduces a new inferential test for acyclic structural equation models (SEM) without latent variables or correlated errors. The test is based on the independence relations predicted by the directed acyclic graph of the SEMs, as given by the concept of d-separation. A wide range of distributional assumptions and structural functions can be…

Presents an extension of the method of estimating interaction effects among latent variables to latent growth curve models developed by K. Joreskog and F. Yang (1996). Illustrates the procedure and discusses results in terms of practical and statistical problems associated with interaction analyses in latent curve models and structural equation…

Studied the measurement of acquiescence in balanced scales using a structural equation modeling approach with subsamples of 986 and 992 from the same population of Belgian adults interviewed about ethnic prejudice. The strong relation in both populations of the latent style factor with a variable "sum of agreements" supports the idea…

Considers the estimation of polynomial structural models and shows a limitation of an existing method. Introduces a new procedure, the generalized appended product indicator procedure, for nonlinear structural equation analysis. Addresses statistical issues associated with the procedure through simulation. (SLD)

Discusses a method, based on bootstrap methodology, for obtaining an approximate confidence interval for the difference in root mean square error of approximation of two structural equation models. Illustrates the method using a numerical example. (SLD)

A didactic on latent growth curve modeling for ordinal outcomes is presented. The conceptual aspects of modeling growth with ordinal variables and the notion of threshold invariance are illustrated graphically using a hypothetical example. The ordinal growth model is described in terms of 3 nested models: (a) multivariate normality of the…

A number of authors have proposed that determining an adequate sample size in structural equation modeling can be aided by considering the number of parameters to be estimated. While this advice seems plausible, little empirical support appears to exist. A previous study by Jackson (2001), failed to find support for this hypothesis, however, there…

Fitting propensity (FP) is defined as a model's average ability to fit diverse data patterns, all else being equal. The relevance of FP to model selection is examined in the context of structural equation modeling (SEM). In SEM it is well known that the number of free model parameters influences FP, but other facets of FP are routinely excluded…

This study examined the role of global processing speed in mediating age increases in auditory memory span in 5- to 13-year-olds. Children were tested on measures of memory span, processing speed, single-word speech rate, phonological sensitivity, and vocabulary. Structural equation modeling supported a model in which age-associated increases in…

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between attention, components of working memory, and reasoning. Therefore, twenty working memory tests, two attention tests, and nine intelligence subtests were administered to 135 students. Using structural equation modeling, we were able to replicate a functional model of working memory…

By regarding the latent random vectors as hypothetical missing data and based on the conditional expectation of the complete-data log-likelihood function in the EM algorithm, we investigate assessment of local influence of various perturbation schemes in a nonlinear structural equation model. The basic building blocks of local influence analysis…

A covariance structure modeling perspective on reliability estimation can be used to construct a formal approach to estimation of reliability in multilevel models. This article presents a didactic discussion of the relation between a structural modeling procedure for scale reliability estimation and the notion of reliability of observed means in…

The authors show how the use of inequality constraints on parameters in structural equation models may affect the distribution of the likelihood ratio test. Inequality constraints are implicitly used in the testing of commonly applied structural equation models, such as the common factor model, the autoregressive model, and the latent growth…

The study examined associations between university teachers' experiences of academic leadership, their perceptions of a specific academic context and their approaches to teaching in a particular subject that was taught in that context. The sample consisted of 439 lecturers in Australian universities in four fields of study. Lecturers completed…

Recent research in statistical reasoning has focused on the developmental process in students when learning statistical reasoning skills. This study investigates statistical reasoning from the perspective of individual differences. As manifestation of heterogeneity, students' prior attitudes toward statistics, measured by the extended Survey of…