Goals

o familiarize graduate students in psychology with the language, logic, and implementation of structural equation modeling;

o compare and contrast structural equation modeling with more commonly used statistical procedures such as analysis of variance, multiple regression analysis, and factor analysis;

o learn the criteria associated with decisions that must be made at each phase of a structural equation modeling analysis;

o consider the philosophical and statistical criticisms of structural equation modeling as an approach to research design and data analysis;

o provide firsthand experience reviewing research reports that feature structural equation modeling and writing up the results of structural equation modeling analyses.