Estimating and interpreting latent variable interactions: A tutorial for applying the latent moderated structural equations method
By J. Maslowsky, Justin Jager, Doug Hemken. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 2014
639 citations recorded by the source corpus.
Latent variables are common in psychological research. Research questions involving the interaction of two variables are likewise quite common. Methods for estimating and interpreting interactions between latent variables within a structural equation modeling framework have recently become available. The latent moderated structural equations (LMS) method is one that is built into Mplus software. The potential utility of this method is limited by the fact that the models do not produce traditional model fit indices, standardized coefficients, or effect sizes for the latent interaction, which renders model fitting and interpretation of the latent variable interaction difficult. This article compiles state-of-the-science techniques for assessing LMS model fit, obtaining standardized coefficients, and determining the size of the latent interaction effect in order to create a tutorial for new users of LMS models. The recommended sequence of model estimation and interpretation is demonstrated via a substantive example and a Monte Carlo simulation. Finally, extensions of this method are discussed, such as estimating quadratic effects of latent factors and interactions between latent slope and intercept factors, which hold significant potential for testing and advancing developmental theories.
Subfields: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/53ff348467b4a7ddb2614686978ffa1082d277b2
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Citations in the corpus
- COVID-19 and Teachers’ Somatic Burden, Stress, and Emotional Exhaustion: Examining the Role of Principal Leadership and Workplace Buoyancy (2021, methodology): “Then, the interaction effects were tested for their significance, and change in R2 for the outcomes was determined (Maslowsky et al., 2015).”
- Building a sustainable start: The role of career competencies, career success, and career shocks in young professionals' employability (2019, positive): “Finally, we estimated the hypothesized moderated mediation model using the LMS approach (Maslowsky et al., 2015).”
- Career Competencies and Career Success: On the Roles of Employability Activities and Academic Satisfaction During the School-to-Work Transition (2021, methodology): “The hypothesized moderated mediation model was estimated through latent moderated structural (LMS) equations method (Maslowsky et al., 2015).”
- Integrating Moderation and Mediation (2016, methodology): “Maslowsky, Jager, and Hemken (2015) recently proposed another method for evaluating the fit of the model with the latent interaction variable.”