Structural Equation Modeling with Mplus: Basic Concepts, Applications, and Programming

Modeled after Barbara Byrne’s other best-selling structural equation modeling (SEM) books, this practical guide reviews the basic concepts and applications of SEM using Mplus Versions 5 & 6. The author reviews SEM applications based on actual data taken from her own research. Using non-mathematical language, it is written for the novice SEM user. With each application chapter, the author "walks" the reader through all steps involved in testing the SEM model including:

• an explanation of the issues addressed
• illustrated and annotated testing of the hypothesized and post hoc models
• explanation and interpretation of all Mplus input and output files
• important caveats pertinent to the SEM application under study
• a description of the data and reference upon which the model was based
• the corresponding data and syntax files available under "Supplementary Material" below

The first two chapters introduce the fundamental concepts of SEM and important basics of the Mplus program. The remaining chapters focus on SEM applications and include a variety of SEM models presented within the context of three sections: Single-group analyses, Multiple-group analyses, and other important topics, the latter of which includes the multitrait-multimethod, latent growth curve, and multilevel models.

Intended for researchers, practitioners, and students who use SEM and Mplus, this book is an ideal resource for graduate level courses on SEM taught in psychology, education, business, and other social and health sciences and/or as a supplement for courses on applied statistics, multivariate statistics, intermediate or advanced statistics, and/or research design. Appropriate for those with limited exposure to SEM or Mplus, a prerequisite of basic statistics through regression analysis is recommended.

Barbara M. Byrne is Professor Emeritus in the School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Canada. An internationally recognized expert in the area of SEM, Dr. Byrne’s research focuses on construct validity issues as they relate to theoretical constructs and measuring instruments. She is the author of 7 popular introductory books on SEM and has conducted over 100 SEM workshops at conferences, universities, and test publishers around the globe. In addition to the publication of over 95 book chapters and scholarly journal articles, most of which have addressed SEM application issues, she is the author of an important reference book, Measuring Self-concept Across the Lifespan: Issues and Instrumentation. Dr. Byrne is the recipient of three Distinguished Teaching Awards presented by the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the APA, Division 5 (Jacob Cohen Award). She is a Fellow in two APA Divisions, is a Foundation member on the International Board of the SELF Research Centre, University of Western Sydney, Australia, and is an elected member of the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology.