ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with advanced forms of validity, structural equation modelling (SEM), confirmatory factor analysis, multi-trait multi-method matrix, systematic reviews and meta-analysis, hierarchical linear modelling, and a unified view of validity. It outlines the basic tenets of SEM, the development of SEM as an integrated statistical theory, the central features of model creation, estimation, and model fit to data. SEM is a confirmatory approach that provides a mechanism to study the hypothesized underlying structural relationships between latent variables or constructs. SEM is a confirmatory approach which allows for the analyses of hypothesized inter-relationships between latent constructs. SEM is a flexible and powerful statistical tool for the development, refinement, and validation of theories and hypothesized relationships between variables. Maximum likelihood is the default estimation technique in most SEM software and is the most widely used. SEM is an integrated statistical method that allows researchers to test proposed theories through quantifiable measures.
