Structural equation models

Alessandro Magrini

Chapter 44 in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Research Methods in the Social Sciences, 2026, pp 315-319 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Structural Equation Models (SEMs) constitute a family of parametric statistical models that structurally relate a number of latent constructs (or factors) that are indirectly observed through a set of indicators. A SEM consists of two parts: the measurement part, which defines the relationship between each construct and its indicators through a linear factor model, and the structural part, which defines the structural relationships among the latent constructs through a system of linear regressions. Both the measurement and the structural parts of a SEM admit a large variety of specifications that allow the researcher to test complex structural hypotheses. SEMs are widely employed to analyze both observational and experimental data in the economic, social and psychological sciences.

Keywords: Causal Mediation; Factor Analysis; Latent Variables; Measurement Model; Path Analysis; Structural Model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803921297
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