Recent Advancements in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM): From Both Methodological and Application Perspectives

Book excerpt: Structural equation modeling (SEM) is becoming the central and one of the most popular analytical tools in the social sciences. Many classical and modern statistical techniques such as regression analysis, path analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and models with both measurement and structural components have been shown to fall under the umbrella of SEM. Thus, the flexibility of SEM makes it applicable to many research designs, including experimental and non-experimental data, cross-sectional and longitudinal data, and multiple-group and multilevel data. In this eBook, you will find 19 cutting-edge papers from the Research Topic: Recent Advancements in Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). These 19 papers cover a wide variety of topics related to SEM, including: (a) analysis of different types of data (from cross-sectional data with floor effects to complex survey data and longitudinal data); (b) measurement-related issues (from the development of new scale to the evaluation of person fit and new ways to test measurement invariance); and (c) technical advancement and software development. We hope that the readers will gain new perspectives and be able to apply some of the new techniques and models discussed in these 19 papers.