An Introduction to Latent Variable Growth Curve Modeling: Concepts, Issues, and Applications (Quantitative Methodology) (Quantitative Methodology Series)

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to latent variable growth curve modeling (LGM) for analyzing repeated measures. It presents the statistical basis for LGM and its various methodological extensions, including a number of practical examples of its use. It is designed to take advantage of the reader’s familiarity with analysis of variance and structural equation modeling (SEM) in introducing LGM techniques. Sample data, syntax, input and output, are provided for EQS, Amos, LISREL, and Mplus on the book’s CD. Throughout the book, the authors present a variety of LGM techniques that are useful for many different research designs, and numerous figures provide helpful diagrams of the examples.

Updated throughout, the second edition features three new chapters—growth modeling with ordered categorical variables, growth mixture modeling, and pooled interrupted time series LGM approaches. The model specifications previously included in the appendices are now available on the CD so the reader can more easily adapt the models to their own research. This practical guide is ideal for social and behavioral researchers interested in the measurement of change over time, including social, developmental, organizational, educational, consumer, personality, and clinical psychologists, sociologists, and quantitative methodologists, or as a text on LGM. A prerequisite of graduate level statistics is recommended.