Modeling Population Heterogeneity in Time to Criterion Growth Models

• In Event: 75.039 - Structural Equation Modeling Methods Medley: New Approaches for Modeling Growth, Multilevel Mediation, and Invariance Testing

Abstract

When time to reach a specific value of an outcome is of interest, for example, the time it takes for language learners to reach certain levels of fluency, researchers have few options that preserve their ability to model individual growth trajectories over time. The Time to Criterion (T2C) growth model, proposed by Johnson and Hancock (under review) to address this gap in the literature, explicitly models time as a factor of growth. However, if the population under consideration is non-homogenous, traditional growth models may mask important differences in trajectories among subpopulations. In order to provide extended flexibility of the T2C growth model, the present study adapts the original model formulation to accommodate a latent growth mixture specification.

Authors

• Tessa Johnson, University of Maryland - College Park

• Gregory R. Hancock, University of Maryland