Basic and Advanced Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling

Author: Sik-Yum Lee
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118358872
Format: PDF, ePub, Mobi

This book provides clear instructions to researchers on how to apply Structural Equation Models (SEMs) for analyzing the inter relationships between observed and latent variables. Basic and Advanced Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling introduces basic and advanced SEMs for analyzing various kinds of complex data, such as ordered and unordered categorical data, multilevel data, mixture data, longitudinal data, highly non-normal data, as well as some of their combinations. In addition, Bayesian semiparametric SEMs to capture the true distribution of explanatory latent variables are introduced, whilst SEM with a nonparametric structural equation to assess unspecified functional relationships among latent variables are also explored. Statistical methodologies are developed using the Bayesian approach giving reliable results for small samples and allowing the use of prior information leading to better statistical results. Estimates of the parameters and model comparison statistics are obtained via powerful Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods in statistical computing. Introduces the Bayesian approach to SEMs, including discussion on the selection of prior distributions, and data augmentation. Demonstrates how to utilize the recent powerful tools in statistical computing including, but not limited to, the Gibbs sampler, the Metropolis-Hasting algorithm, and path sampling for producing various statistical results such as Bayesian estimates and Bayesian model comparison statistics in the analysis of basic and advanced SEMs. Discusses the Bayes factor, Deviance Information Criterion (DIC), and $L_\nu$-measure for Bayesian model comparison. Introduces a number of important generalizations of SEMs, including multilevel and mixture SEMs, latent curve models and longitudinal SEMs, semiparametric SEMs and those with various types of discrete data, and nonparametric structural equations. Illustrates how to use the freely available software WinBUGS to produce the results. Provides numerous real examples for illustrating the theoretical concepts and computational procedures that are presented throughout the book. Researchers and advanced level students in statistics, biostatistics, public health, business, education, psychology and social science will benefit from this book.

Bayesian Statistics for the Social Sciences

Author: David Kaplan
Publisher: Guilford Publications
ISBN: 1462516513
Format: PDF, ePub, Docs

Bridging the gap between traditional classical statistics and a Bayesian approach, David Kaplan provides readers with the concepts and practical skills they need to apply Bayesian methodologies to their data analysis problems. Part I addresses the elements of Bayesian inference, including exchangeability, likelihood, prior/posterior distributions, and the Bayesian central limit theorem. Part II covers Bayesian hypothesis testing, model building, and linear regression analysis, carefully explaining the differences between the Bayesian and frequentist approaches. Part III extends Bayesian statistics to multilevel modeling and modeling for continuous and categorical latent variables. Kaplan closes with a discussion of philosophical issues and argues for an "evidence-based" framework for the practice of Bayesian statistics. User-Friendly Features *Includes worked-through, substantive examples, using large-scale educational and social science databases, such as PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) and the LSAY (Longitudinal Study of American Youth). *Utilizes open-source R software programs available on CRAN (such as MCMCpack and rjags); readers do not have to master the R language and can easily adapt the example programs to fit individual needs. *Shows readers how to carefully warrant priors on the basis of empirical data. *Companion website features data and code for the book's examples, plus other resources.

Bayesian Psychometric Modeling

Author: Roy Levy
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 131535697X
Format: PDF, ePub

A Single Cohesive Framework of Tools and Procedures for Psychometrics and Assessment Bayesian Psychometric Modeling presents a unified Bayesian approach across traditionally separate families of psychometric models. It shows that Bayesian techniques, as alternatives to conventional approaches, offer distinct and profound advantages in achieving many goals of psychometrics. Adopting a Bayesian approach can aid in unifying seemingly disparate—and sometimes conflicting—ideas and activities in psychometrics. This book explains both how to perform psychometrics using Bayesian methods and why many of the activities in psychometrics align with Bayesian thinking. The first part of the book introduces foundational principles and statistical models, including conceptual issues, normal distribution models, Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation, and regression. Focusing more directly on psychometrics, the second part covers popular psychometric models, including classical test theory, factor analysis, item response theory, latent class analysis, and Bayesian networks. Throughout the book, procedures are illustrated using examples primarily from educational assessments. A supplementary website provides the datasets, WinBUGS code, R code, and Netica files used in the examples.

Applied Bayesian Modelling

Author: Peter Congdon
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118895053
Format: PDF, ePub

This book provides an accessible approach to Bayesian computing and data analysis, with an emphasis on the interpretation of real data sets. Following in the tradition of the successful first edition, this book aims to make a wide range of statistical modeling applications accessible using tested code that can be readily adapted to the reader's own applications. The second edition has been thoroughly reworked and updated to take account of advances in the field. A new set of worked examples is included. The novel aspect of the first edition was the coverage of statistical modeling using WinBUGS and OPENBUGS. This feature continues in the new edition along with examples using R to broaden appeal and for completeness of coverage.

Ecological Statistics

Author: Gordon A. Fox
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191652881
Format: PDF, ePub, Docs

The application and interpretation of statistics are central to ecological study and practice. Ecologists are now asking more sophisticated questions than in the past. These new questions, together with the continued growth of computing power and the availability of new software, have created a new generation of statistical techniques. These have resulted in major recent developments in both our understanding and practice of ecological statistics. This novel book synthesizes a number of these changes, addressing key approaches and issues that tend to be overlooked in other books such as missing/censored data, correlation structure of data, heterogeneous data, and complex causal relationships. These issues characterize a large proportion of ecological data, but most ecologists' training in traditional statistics simply does not provide them with adequate preparation to handle the associated challenges. Uniquely, Ecological Statistics highlights the underlying links among many statistical approaches that attempt to tackle these issues. In particular, it gives readers an introduction to approaches to inference, likelihoods, generalized linear (mixed) models, spatially or phylogenetically-structured data, and data synthesis, with a strong emphasis on conceptual understanding and subsequent application to data analysis. Written by a team of practicing ecologists, mathematical explanations have been kept to the minimum necessary. This user-friendly textbook will be suitable for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners in the fields of ecology, evolution, environmental studies, and computational biology who are interested in updating their statistical tool kits. A companion web site provides example data sets and commented code in the R language.

Handbook of Structural Equation Modeling

Author: Rick H. Hoyle
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 1606230778
Format: PDF, ePub

"This handbook offers comprehensive coverage of structural equation modeling (SEM), beginning with background issues, continuing through statistical underpinnings and steps in implementation, then moving into basic and advanced applications of SEM. In a single volume, it offers virtually complete coverage of SEM and its use"--

Structural Equation Modeling

Author: Gregory R. Hancock
Publisher: IAP
ISBN: 1623962463
Format: PDF, ePub, Docs

Sponsored by the American Educational Research Association's Special Interest Group for Educational Statisticians This volume is the second edition of Hancock and Mueller’s highlysuccessful 2006 volume, with all of the original chapters updated as well as four new chapters. The second edition, like the first, is intended to serve as a didacticallyoriented resource for graduate students and research professionals, covering a broad range of advanced topics often not discussed in introductory courses on structural equation modeling (SEM). Such topics are important in furthering the understanding of foundations and assumptions underlying SEM as well as in exploring SEM, as a potential tool to address new types of research questions that might not have arisen during a first course. Chapters focus on the clear explanation and application of topics, rather than on analytical derivations, and contain materials from popular SEM software.

Handbook of Advanced Multilevel Analysis

Author: Joop Hox
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 113695127X
Format: PDF, ePub, Docs

This new handbook is the definitive resource on advanced topics related to multilevel analysis. The editors assembled the top minds in the field to address the latest applications of multilevel modeling as well as the specific difficulties and methodological problems that are becoming more common as more complicated models are developed. Each chapter features examples that use actual datasets. These datasets, as well as the code to run the models, are available on the book’s website http://www.hlm-online.com . Each chapter includes an introduction that sets the stage for the material to come and a conclusion. Divided into five sections, the first provides a broad introduction to the field that serves as a framework for understanding the latter chapters. Part 2 focuses on multilevel latent variable modeling including item response theory and mixture modeling. Section 3 addresses models used for longitudinal data including growth curve and structural equation modeling. Special estimation problems are examined in section 4 including the difficulties involved in estimating survival analysis, Bayesian estimation, bootstrapping, multiple imputation, and complicated models, including generalized linear models, optimal design in multilevel models, and more. The book’s concluding section focuses on statistical design issues encountered when doing multilevel modeling including nested designs, analyzing cross-classified models, and dyadic data analysis. Intended for methodologists, statisticians, and researchers in a variety of fields including psychology, education, and the social and health sciences, this handbook also serves as an excellent text for graduate and PhD level courses in multilevel modeling. A basic knowledge of multilevel modeling is assumed.

New Developments and Techniques in Structural Equation Modeling

Author: George A. Marcoulides
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 1135657815
Format: PDF

Featuring contributions from some of the leading researchers in the field of SEM, most chapters are written by the author(s) who originally proposed the technique and/or contributed substantially to its development. Content highlights include latent variable mixture modeling, multilevel modeling, interaction modeling, models for dealing with nonstandard and noncompliance samples, the latest on the analysis of growth curve and longitudinal data, specification searches, item parceling, and equivalent models. This volume will appeal to educators, psychologists, biologists, business professionals, medical researchers, and other social and health scientists. It is assumed that the reader has mastered the equivalent of a graduate-level multivariate statistics course that included coverage of introductory SEM techniques.

Methods in Comparative Plant Population Ecology

Author: David Gibson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0199671478
Format: PDF

This second edition provides authoritative guidance on research methodology for plant population ecology. Practical advice is provided to assist senior undergraduates and post-graduate students, and all researchers, design their own field and greenhouse experiments and establish a research programme in plant population ecology.