The weakness of “MUPPET B” is that estimating the relation between Y and C at the same stage as estimating the Xs on C leaves us vulnerable to interpretational confounding. “MUPPET A” precludes this, but takes longer (but the new R package speeds this up a bit relative to previous code) 5/5 end

Or we could combine the first two fragments in “MUPPET A” and we would have: (1) est. loadings for the Xs on C and relation between Y and C, and then (2) est. posteriors for C using only the Xs, dropping any potential influence of Y on our estimates of the C. Call this “MUPPET B” 4/n

MUPPET now allows for the following in stages: (1) estimate loadings for the Xs on C. (2) est. relation between Y and C conditional on loadings from (1). (3) est. posteriors for C using only the Xs, dropping any potential influence of Y on our estimates of the C. Call this approach “MUPPET A” 3/n

Precluding Interpretational Confounding in Factor Analysis with a Covariate or Outcome via Measurement and Uncertainty Preserving Parametric Modeling In latent variable models, interpretational confounding occurs when the inclusion of a covariate or outcome when fitting the model alters the results for the measurement model. Commonly used estima...

So MUPPET passes along the posteriors for the loadings to estimate the next stage to estimate the structural relation, which works better (doi.org/10.1080/1070...). 2/n

Not quite. Passing the posteriors for the latent variables to then estimate the relation between the latent variable and the outcome (C and Y in your example), yields biased estimates of that relation (doi.org/10.1037/met0...). 1/5

Since my work (with @dmcneish.bsky.social) on addressing this exact issue came up, here's a working paper of the latest extensions of it: drive.google.com/drive/folder... and and associated R package and examples: roy-levy.github.io/muppet_pub/. Happy to discuss, & hope it helps.

So you're saying it was a bad thing that an esteemed scholar in the field fell asleep during a job talk I gave?

Why I’m Resigning from the NSF and Library of Congress I cannot participate in systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging.

"For me, the answer now lies in refusal, the withdrawal of participation from systems that require dishonesty as the price of belonging."

Today I am resigning from the National Science Board and the Library of Congress Scholars Council.

I wrote about my decision in TIME.

time.com/7285045/resi...

Education researchers sue Trump administration, testing executive power Prominent scholars ask the courts to reverse DOGE cuts at the Education Department

NCME and five orgs are fighting ongoing erosion of federal educational data. The three suits have relative emphases on data access, infrastructure, and quality. @jillbarshay.bsky.social has a roundup of the claims. hechingerreport.org/proof-points... @ncme38.bsky.social @naeducation.bsky.social

Former Trump commissioner blasts DOGE education data cuts Public trust in vital information is likely to suffer

Really good interview with the past NCES commissioner (a conservative and Trump appointee) about why the loss of basic data is so concerning. hechingerreport.org/proof-points...

AERA and COPAFS Statement on the New Administration’s Sudden Termination of National Center for Education Statistics Contracts AERA and COPAFS Statement on the New Administration’s Sudden Termination of National Center for Education Statistics Contracts

AERA and COPAFS have issued a statement on the sudden termination of 169 contracts within IES, including those that NCES holds for the collection and reporting of education statistics. Read the full statement: www.aera.net/Newsroom/AER...

Censor CDC scientists and ask them to withdraw papers from medical journals?

This is not how it works, Mr President.

Our response @bmj.com on the Trump Executive Order and his "forbidden words"

www.bmj.com/content/388/...

Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling Seminar | Statistics Course This online course by Dan McNeish Ph.D., introduces both foundational and intermediate topics in DSEM.

Next week, I'm teaching a 3-day workshop on DSEM for intensive longitudinal data using Mplus and registration is still open -- more information about the topics and registration can be found here!

statisticalhorizons.com/seminars/dyn...