Latent trajectory studies: the basics, how to interpret the results, and what to report

European Journal of Psychotraumatology
Rens Van de Schoot

Abstract

In statistics, tools have been developed to estimate individual change over time. Also, the existence of latent trajectories, where individuals are captured by trajectories that are unobserved (latent), can be evaluated (Muthén & Muthén, 2000). The method used to evaluate such trajectories is called Latent Growth Mixture Modeling (LGMM) or Latent Class Growth Modeling (LCGA). The difference between the two models is whether variance within latent classes is allowed for (Jung & Wickrama, 2008). The default approach most often used when estimating such models begins with estimating a single cluster model, where only a single underlying group is presumed. Next, several additional models are estimated with an increasing number of clusters (latent groups or classes). For each of these models, the software is allowed to estimate all parameters without any restrictions. A final model is chosen based on model comparison tools, for example, using the BIC, the bootstrapped chi-square test, or the Lo-Mendell-Rubin test. To ease the use of LGMM/LCGA step by step in this symposium (Van de Schoot, 2015) guidelines are presented which can be used for researchers applying the methods to longitudinal data, for example, the development of posttr...Continue Reading

References

Jul 11, 2000·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·B Muthén, L K Muthén
Mar 5, 2015·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Rens Van de Schoot
Mar 5, 2015·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Isaac R Galatzer-Levy
Mar 5, 2015·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Sarah DepaoliMarit Sijbrandij

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Dec 21, 2017·Frontiers in Psychology·Duco VeenRens van de Schoot
Feb 16, 2020·Aging Clinical and Experimental Research·Cathleen S Colón-EmericOrla C Sheehan
Apr 18, 2019·The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences·Cathleen Colón-EmericHeather E Whitson
Jan 4, 2020·European Journal of Psychotraumatology·Miranda OlffSiri Thoresen

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Anxiety Disorders

Discover the latest research on anxiety disorders including agoraphobia, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder here.