ERIC Number: EJ761597
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003
Pages: 33
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1070-5511
EISSN: N/A
A Comparison of Maximum-Likelihood and Asymptotically Distribution-Free Methods of Treating Incomplete Nonnormal Data
Gold, Michael S.; Bentler, Peter M.; Kim, Kevin H.
Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, v10 n1 p47-79 2003
This article describes a Monte Carlo study of 2 methods for treating incomplete nonnormal data. Skewed, kurtotic data sets conforming to a single structured model, but varying in sample size, percentage of data missing, and missing-data mechanism, were produced. An asymptotically distribution-free available-case (ADFAC) method and structured-model expectation-maximization (EM) with nonnormality corrections were applied to these data sets, and the 2 methods were then compared in terms of bias in parameter estimates, bias in standard-error estimates, efficiency of parameter estimates, and model chi-squares. The results favored the nonnormality corrected EM over the ADFAC method in almost all respects, the only important exceptions involving (a) bias in standard-error estimates with large samples and (b) mixed results with respect to the efficiency of parameter estimates.
Descriptors: Monte Carlo Methods, Computation, Sample Size, Comparative Analysis, Error of Measurement, Statistical Analysis, Maximum Likelihood Statistics, Structural Equation Models
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 10 Industrial Avenue, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2262. Tel: 800-926-6579; Tel: 201-258-2200; Fax: 201-236-0072; e-mail: journals@erlbaum.com; Web site: http://www.LEAonline.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A

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