First- Versus Second-Order Latent Growth Curve Models: Some Insights From Latent State-Trait Theory

Analyzing latent state-trait and multiple-indicator latent growth curve models as multilevel structural equation models

Latent state-trait (LST) and latent growth curve (LGC) models are frequently used in the analysis of longitudinal data. Although it is well-known that standard single-indicator LGC models can be analyzed within either the structural equation modeling (SEM) or multilevel (ML; hierarchical linear modeling) frameworks, few researchers realize that LST and multivariate LGC models, which use multipl...

Latent Growth Curve Models

An Illustration of Second-Order Latent Growth Models

Performance of second-order latent growth curve models with shifting indicators

Latent Growth Curve Modeling

A fundamental observation in the social and behavioral sciences is that people change over time, but not necessarily in the same way or at the same rate. For example, verbal ability increases steadily throughout the elementary school years, but it does not increase at the same rate for all students. There are individual differences in the rate and direction of change in many contexts, and these...