Growth models are among the core methods for analyzing how and when people change. Discussing both structural equation and multilevel modeling approaches, this book leads readers step by step through applying each model to longitudinal data to answer particular research questions. It demonstrates cutting-edge ways to describe linear and nonlinear change patterns, examine within-person and between-person differences in change, study change in latent variables, identify leading and lagging indicators of change, evaluate co-occurring patterns of change across multiple variables, and more. User-friendly features include real data examples, code (for Mplus or NLMIXED in SAS, and OpenMx or nlme in R), discussion of the output, and interpretation of each model's results. User-Friendly Features *Real, worked-through longitudinal data examples serving as illustrations in each chapter. *Script boxes that provide code for fitting the models to example data and facilitate application to the reader's own data. *"Important Considerations" sections offering caveats, warnings, and recommendations for the use of specific models. *Companion website supplying datasets and syntax for the book's examples, along with additional code in SAS/R for linear mixed-effects modeling.

Multilevel analysis covers all the main methods, techniques and issues for carrying out multilevel modeling and analysis. The approach is applied, and less mathematical than many other textbooks.

Like its bestselling predecessor, Multilevel Modeling Using R, Second Edition provides the reader with a helpful guide to conducting multilevel data modeling using the R software environment. After reviewing standard linear models, the authors present the basics of multilevel models and explain how to fit these models using R. They then show how to employ multilevel modeling with longitudinal data and demonstrate the valuable graphical options in R. The book also describes models for categorical dependent variables in both single level and multilevel data. New in the Second Edition: Features the use of lmer (instead of lme) and including the most up to date approaches for obtaining confidence intervals for the model parameters. Discusses measures of R2 (the squared multiple correlation coefficient) and overall model fit. Adds a chapter on nonparametric and robust approaches to estimating multilevel models, including rank based, heavy tailed distributions, and the multilevel lasso. Includes a new chapter on multivariate multilevel models. Presents new sections on micro-macro models and multilevel generalized additive models. This thoroughly updated revision gives the reader state-of-the-art tools to launch their own investigations in multilevel modeling and gain insight into their research. About the Authors: W. Holmes Finch is the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Educational Psychology at Ball State University. Jocelyn E. Bolin is a Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Ball State University. Ken Kelley is the Edward F. Sorin Society Professor of IT, Analytics and Operations and the Associate Dean for Faculty and Research for the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame.

This book provides a broad overview of basic multilevel modeling issues and illustrates techniques building analyses around several organizational data sets. Although the focus is primarily on educational and organizational settings, the examples will help the reader discover other applications for these techniques. Two basic classes of multilevel models are developed: multilevel regression models and multilevel models for covariance structures--are used to develop the rationale behind these models and provide an introduction to the design and analysis of research studies using two multilevel analytic techniques--hierarchical linear modeling and structural equation modeling.

(sponsored by the Educational Statisticians, SIG) Multilevel Modeling of Educational Data, co-edited by Ann A. O’Connell, Ed.D., and D. Betsy McCoach, Ph.D., is the next volume in the series: Quantitative Methods in Education and the Behavioral Sciences: Issues, Research and Teaching (Information Age Publishing), sponsored by the Educational Statisticians' Special Interest Group (Ed-Stat SIG) of the American Educational Research Association. The use of multilevel analyses to examine effects of groups or contexts on individual outcomes has burgeoned over the past few decades. Multilevel modeling techniques allow educational researchers to more appropriately model data that occur within multiple hierarchies (i.e.- the classroom, the school, and/or the district). Examples of multilevel research problems involving schools include establishing trajectories of academic achievement for children within diverse classrooms or schools or studying school-level characteristics on the incidence of bullying. Multilevel models provide an improvement over traditional single-level approaches to working with clustered or hierarchical data; however, multilevel data present complex and interesting methodological challenges for the applied education research community. In keeping with the pedagogical focus for this book series, the papers this volume emphasize applications of multilevel models using educational data, with chapter topics ranging from basic to advanced. This book represents a comprehensive and instructional resource text on multilevel modeling for quantitative researchers who plan to use multilevel techniques in their work, as well as for professors and students of quantitative methods courses focusing on multilevel analysis. Through the contributions of experienced researchers and teachers of multilevel modeling, this volume provides an accessible and practical treatment of methods appropriate for use in a first and/or second course in multilevel analysis. A supporting website links chapter examples to actual data, creating an opportunity for readers to reinforce their knowledge through hands-on data analysis. This book serves as a guide for designing multilevel studies and applying multilevel modeling techniques in educational and behavioral research, thus contributing to a better understanding of and solution for the challenges posed by multilevel systems and data.

Have you been told you need to do multilevel modeling, but you can′t get past the forest of equations? Do you need the techniques explained with words and practical examples so they make sense? Help is here! This book unpacks these statistical techniques in easy-to-understand language with fully annotated examples using the statistical software Stata. The techniques are explained without reliance on equations and algebra so that new users will understand when to use these approaches and how they are really just special applications of ordinary regression. Using real life data, the authors show you how to model random intercept models and random coefficient models for cross-sectional data in a way that makes sense and can be retained and repeated. This book is the perfect answer for anyone who needs a clear, accessible introduction to multilevel modeling.

This is the first accessible and practical guide to using multilevel models in social research. Multilevel approaches are becoming increasingly important in social, behavioural, and educational research and it is clear from recent developments that such models are seen as being more realistic, and potentially more revealing, than ordinary regression models. While other books describe these multilevel models in considerable detail none focuses on the practical issues and potential problems of doing multilevel analyses that are covered in Introducing Multilevel Modeling. The authors' approach is user-oriented and the formal mathematics and statistics are kept to a minimum. Other key features include the use of worked examples using real data sets, analyzed using the leading computer package for multilevel modeling - "MLn." Discussion site at: http: \www.stat.ucla.eduphplibw-agoraw-agora.phtml?bn=Sagebook Data files mentioned in the book are available from: http: \www.stat.ucla.edu deleeuwsagebook