Measurement Invariance in Mixture Modeling: Issues and Current Practices

• In Event: Issues of Measurement Invariance in Mixture Models for Educational Data

Abstract

While many researchers are conversant with measurement invariance testing in a factor analytic context, procedures of invariance testing in mixture modeling is less commonly discussed. Further, best practices for undertaking a study of measurement invariance are very limited. Measurement invariance in latent class analysis, similar to approaches in factor analysis, involves stringent equality constraints which, in practice, are often not fulfilled. Therefore, it is important to first ask whether group comparisons are vital to the research question.

Authors

• Odelia Simon, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Maggie Chan, University of California - Santa Barbara

• Karen L. Nylund-Gibson, University of California - Santa Barbara