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An SEM approach to continuous time modeling of panel data: Relating authoritarianism and anomia


Voelkle, Manuel C; Oud, Johan H L; Davidov, Eldad; Schmidt, Peter (2012). An SEM approach to continuous time modeling of panel data: Relating authoritarianism and anomia. Psychological Methods, 17(2):176-192.

Abstract

Panel studies, in which the same subjects are repeatedly observed at multiple time points, are among the most popular longitudinal designs in psychology. Meanwhile, there exists a wide range of different methods to analyze such data, with autoregressive and cross-lagged models being 2 of the most well known representatives. Unfortunately, in these models time is only considered implicitly, making it difficult to account for unequally spaced measurement occasions or to compare parameter estimates across studies that are based on different time intervals. Stochastic differential equations offer a solution to this problem by relating the discrete time model to its underlying model in continuous time. It is the goal of the present article to introduce this approach to a broader psychological audience. A step-by-step review of the relationship between discrete and continuous time modeling is provided, and we demonstrate how continuous time parameters can be obtained via structural equation modeling. An empirical example on the relationship between authoritarianism and anomia is used to illustrate the approach.

Abstract

Panel studies, in which the same subjects are repeatedly observed at multiple time points, are among the most popular longitudinal designs in psychology. Meanwhile, there exists a wide range of different methods to analyze such data, with autoregressive and cross-lagged models being 2 of the most well known representatives. Unfortunately, in these models time is only considered implicitly, making it difficult to account for unequally spaced measurement occasions or to compare parameter estimates across studies that are based on different time intervals. Stochastic differential equations offer a solution to this problem by relating the discrete time model to its underlying model in continuous time. It is the goal of the present article to introduce this approach to a broader psychological audience. A step-by-step review of the relationship between discrete and continuous time modeling is provided, and we demonstrate how continuous time parameters can be obtained via structural equation modeling. An empirical example on the relationship between authoritarianism and anomia is used to illustrate the approach.

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Additional indexing

Item Type:Journal Article, refereed, original work
Communities & Collections:06 Faculty of Arts > Institute of Sociology
Dewey Decimal Classification:300 Social sciences, sociology & anthropology
Scopus Subject Areas:Social Sciences & Humanities > Psychology (miscellaneous)
Uncontrolled Keywords:continuous time modeling, stochastic differential equations, panel design, autoregressive cross-lagged model
Language:English
Date:2012
Deposited On:06 Jul 2012 08:31
Last Modified:23 Jan 2022 22:01
Publisher:American Psychological Association
ISSN:1082-989X
Additional Information:This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. Copyright: American Psychological Association
OA Status:Green
Publisher DOI:https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027543
  • Content: Accepted Version