Article
Finding latent groups in observed data: A primer on latent profile analysis in Mplus for applied researchers
International Journal of Behavioral Development
(2019)
Abstract
The present guide provides a practical guide to conducting latent profile analysis (LPA) in the Mplus software system. This guide is intended for researchers familiar with some latent variable modeling but not LPA specifically. A general procedure for conducting LPA is provided in six steps: (a) data inspection, (b) iterative evaluation of models, (c) model fit and interpretability, (d) investigation of patterns of profiles in a retained model, (e) covariate analysis, and (f) presentation of results. A worked example is provided with syntax and results to exemplify the steps.
Keywords
- Latent profile analysis,
- latent variable modeling,
- teaching paper
Disciplines
Publication Date
November 22, 2019
DOI
10.1177/0165025419881721
Citation Information
Sarah L Ferguson, E. Whitney G. Moore and Darrell M. Hull. "Finding latent groups in observed data: A primer on latent profile analysis in Mplus for applied researchers" International Journal of Behavioral Development (2019) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/sarah-ferguson/10/