The authors of the paper on growth mixture modelling (GMM) give a description of GMM and related techniques as applied to antisocial behaviour. They bring up the important issue of choice of model within the general framework of mixture modelling, especially the choice between latent class growth analysis (LCGA) techniques developed by Nagin and…

Monte Carlo methodologies are frequently applied to study the sampling distribution of the estimated proficiency level in adaptive testing. These methods eliminate real situational constraints. However, these Monte Carlo methodologies are not currently supported by the available software programs, and when these programs are available, their…

In this article, a nonlinear structural equation model is introduced and a quasi-maximum likelihood method for simultaneous estimation and testing of multiple nonlinear effects is developed. The focus of the new methodology lies on efficiency, robustness, and computational practicability. Monte-Carlo studies indicate that the method is highly…

Monte Carlo methods were used to investigate the effect of misspecification of the second level in a two-level hierarchical linear model (HLM). Sample composition, heterogeneity of the group size, level of intraclass correlation, and correlation between second-level predictors were manipulated. Each of 20 generated data sets was analyzed nine…

A variety of approaches have been suggested by which to assess the equality of population mean vectors under conditions of population covariance matrix homogeneity and heterogeneity. The nonrobustness of commonly used multivariate tests of means to population covariance matrix heterogeneity has been long documented. However, most studies have…

The performance of analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and six selected competitors was examined under varying experimental conditions through Monte Carlo simulations. The six alternatives were: (1) Quade's procedure (D. Quade, 1967); (2) Puri and Sen's solution (M. Puri and P. Sen, 1969); (3) Burnett and Barr's rank difference scores (T. Burnett and…

That the jackknifing technique is superior to traditional techniques for assessing the external validity of statistical results of discriminant analysis is defended. Traditional approaches assessed include: (1) the empirical method, in which the discriminant function coefficients (DFCs) obtained in a given analysis are applied to predict group…

The increased emphasis on quantitative techniques in business demands that students be instructed in how computers may be used as tools of decision making. (Author)

In their Monte Carlo study of canonical analysis, Barcikowski and Stevens evaluated the relative stability of canonical weights and loadings. This paper identifies some weaknesses in their study, suggests directions for future research in this area, and discusses interpretation of canonical analysis both in development and in cross-validation. For…

This article is a rejoinder to TM 502 249. Each of Thorndike's comments are examined. A possible solution to the large number of subjects necessary for stable weights and variate-variable correlations using ridge regression procedures is suggested. (RC)

A Monte Carlo study was carried out to investigate the ability of the ALSCAL multidimensional scaling program to recover true structure inherent in simulated proximity data. The results under varying conditions were mixed. Practical implications and suggestions for further research are discussed. (Author/JKS)

Supporting the use of separate analyses of measurement and structural portions of latent or mixed manifest and latent variable models, limited information (single equation) procedures are presented for estimating structural parameters. These procedures are recommended for testing specific causal hypotheses and locating specific structural model…

Several methods have been proposed for the analysis of data from single-subject research settings. This research focuses on two methods which have been proposed in previous articles. Criticisms of the methods are presented along with recommendations for practice. (Author/JKS)

The minimum number of points required for continuous scaled variables before the Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (PPMCC) ceases to be an accurate estimate if their original correlation coefficient is five. Results also indicated that the PPMCC obtained by using transformed discrete ordinal-level variables tended to underestimate the…

Coefficient alpha is a simple and very useful index of test reliability that is widely used in educational and psychological measurement. Classical statistical inference for coefficient alpha is well developed. This paper presents two methods for Bayesian statistical inference for a single sample alpha coefficient. An approximate analytic method…