Developed a procedure for overcoming the computational and technological limitations of analyzing data with missing observations by extracting data from a sparsely filled data matrix into analyzable smaller subsets of data. Demonstrated the validity of this subdividing method using a Monte Carlo simulation. (SLD)

Applications of the confirmatory factor analysis block-diagonal model to published data on 18 multitrait-multimethod matrices were reviewed to show widespread estimation problems. Possible causes of estimation difficulties were explored using computer simulations. These problems make the block-diagonal approach less useful than has generally been…

Using simulation, the effect that misspecification of elements in the weight matrix has on estimates of basic parameters of the linear logistic test model was studied. Results indicate that, because specifying elements of the weight matrix is a subjective process, it must be done with great care. (SLD)