Welcome Packet

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the Latent Variable Methods Workshop. This workshop is targeted toward researchers interested in gaining exposure and skills in latent variable data analysis using a structural equations modeling framework. Applied examples will use the Mplus software (most examples are also available in R/lavaan), and make use of public use data. See a description of the substantive content covered here.

This document provides a few reminders regarding the workshop, and a schedule for the training sessions. We look forward to seeing you online in 2021!

Overview

The goal of the workshop is to provide an overview and opportunity for first-hand experience doing analyses using Mplus and R/lavaan. The focus is on Mplus. The workshop is led by researchers who use Mplus in their day-to-day research to address measurement related research questions. The format of the course will be a mix of didactic sessions and a hands-on training/demonstration sessions.

Computers and Software

Computers will not be provided. We strongly encourage attendees to bring their own notebook computers. Before the workshop, participants should make sure they have a copy of the current demo version of Mplus (or licensed version of Mplus) installed on their computers. R with the lavaan package installed is also an acceptable strategy. Security and privilege settings at your home institution may prevent you from installing software on your computer at the time of the workshop, so it is best to do this before departing. Also, download a copy of the Mplus Users Guide. We will demonstrate to streamline Mplus with your workflow, calling Mplus from within Stata or R.

How to Prepare for the Workshop

  • Handouts will be printed and distributed at the workshop. You can obtain electronic copies of the handouts by visiting the downloads page.

  • Have a computer with Mplus installed (demo or full version). Get it at www.statmodel.com.

  • Visit the downloads site (measurement models or longitudinal data analysis) and download slides and example code and data. These are always available but updated only a few days before each workshop.

  • Don't forget to double check the workshop location