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ATTRITION IN LONGITUDINAL TWIN STUDIES:
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SEM ESTIMATION METHODS
by
Pan Wang
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(PSYCHOLOGY)
December 2012
Copyright 2012 Pan Wang
Object Description
| Title | Attrition in longitudinal twin studies: a comparative study of SEM estimation methods |
| Author | Wang, Pan |
| Author email | panwang@usc.edu;phoebewang2@gmail.com |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Psychology |
| School | College of Letters, Arts And Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2012-08-31 |
| Date submitted | 2012-10-15 |
| Date approved | 2012-10-15 |
| Restricted until | 2012-10-15 |
| Date published | 2012-10-15 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Baker, Laura A. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
McArdle, John J. John, Richard Gatz, Margaret Thomas, Duncan C. |
| Abstract | The overarching aims of this research were to find a way to evaluate assumptions about patterns of missing data and minimize adverse effects on statistical inferences and conclusions if data are missing not at random. The Bayesian approach, implemented through the MCMC algorithms, provided possible bridges to these aims and received multi-phase investigations under a longitudinal twin design in this research. In simulation study I and II, the performances of the Bayesian approach were compared to the direct Maximum likelihood (ML) estimation when data were missing completely at random (MCAR) or not at random (MNAR), respectively. Robustness of different approaches to varying fractions of missing information was also examined. The Bayesian approach, despite being less robust than ML in estimating unique environmental components and residual error, was effectively capable of capturing true models from MNAR when an appropriate logistic regression was formulated about the missingness pattern. In simulation study III, the sensitivity of the Bayesian approach itself to misspecifications of the missingness pattern received further investigation. The results suggested that, as long as the logistic regression equation in the Bayesian model was a saturated one taking into account as many predictors as possible, the Bayesian approach could correctly detect misspecifications with an acceptable type-I error. Finally, the Bayesian model was applied to an empirical study of psychopathic traits to demonstrate the influence of MNAR data and what different conclusions from regular ML estimation it could achieve. The implications of these different conclusions regarding the theory of psychopathy itself were also discussed. |
| Keyword | twins; SEM; structural equation modeling; longitudinal studies |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m |
| Rights | Wang, Pan |
| Access conditions | The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given. |
| Repository name | University of Southern California Digital Library |
| Repository address | USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA |
| Repository email | cisadmin@usc.edu |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume4/etd-WangPan-1248.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | ATTRITION IN LONGITUDINAL TWIN STUDIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SEM ESTIMATION METHODS by Pan Wang A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PSYCHOLOGY) December 2012 Copyright 2012 Pan Wang |
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