Multilevel Factor Mixture Modeling: Illustrations for Multilevel Constructs

• In Event: Estimation Methods for Multilevel Models

Abstract

In multilevel data structure, the measurement constructs of interest can exist at the within level, between level or both within and between levels. Multilevel factor mixture modeling (FMM) can be used to model the presence of heterogeneity of the population at the within level, the between level, or both levels. However, there have been few empirical research studies that utilized multilevel FMM because of the complexity of the modeling and the interpretation of multilevel FMM results. This study purported to demonstrate model specification and interpretation of multilevel FMM results to examine the heterogeneity of population in multilevel constructs: the within-level constructs, between-level constructs, and both within- and between-level constructs with empirical data set examples.

Authors

• Chunhua Cao, University of Alabama

• Yan Wang, University of Massachusetts - Lowell

• Eunsook Kim, University of South Florida