Exploratory structural equation modeling: a streamlined step by step approach using the R Project software

Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been a popular yet limited approach to assessing latent factor structures. Despite items rarely loading exclusively on one latent factor in multifactorial scales, CFA assumes all indicators/items should load uniquely on their allocated latent dimensions. To add...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC psychiatry 2023-07, Vol.23 (1), p.546-546, Article 546
Main Authors: Prokofieva, Maria, Zarate, Daniel, Parker, Alex, Palikara, Olympia, Stavropoulos, Vasileios
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Australia
Child
Child & adolescent psychiatry
Childrens health
Epidemiology
ESEM
Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling
Factor analysis
Factor Analysis, Statistical
Health aspects
Human acts
Human behavior
Humans
Latent Class Analysis
Longitudinal Studies
Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Mediation
Methods
Mplus
Observations
Psychiatry
Psychometrics - methods
Public software
Questionnaires
R software
Software
Structural equation modeling
Syntax
Technology application
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) has been a popular yet limited approach to assessing latent factor structures. Despite items rarely loading exclusively on one latent factor in multifactorial scales, CFA assumes all indicators/items should load uniquely on their allocated latent dimensions. To address this weakness, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) combines exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and CFA procedures, allowing cross-loadings to occur when assessing hypothesized models. Although such advantages have enhanced ESEM popularity, its adoption is often limited by software rigidity and complex coding difficulties. To address these obstacles, the current tutorial presents a streamlined, step-by-step approach using the open-source software R while providing both R and Mplus ESEM syntax. The tutorial demonstrates the sequence of the ESEM stages by examining the frequently debated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) factor structure, using openly accessible data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC). As ESEM may allow a better understanding of the complex associations in multidimensional scales, this tutorial may optimize the epidemiological and clinical assessment of common yet multifaceted psychiatric presentations.
ISSN:1471-244X
1471-244X
DOI:10.1186/s12888-023-05028-9