caa a22 4500 465756522 CHVBK 20180323111848.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170327e19901101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF00152015 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF00152015 Searching for parsimony: are true-score models or factor models more appropriate? [Elektronische Daten] [Wolfgang Jagodzinski, Steffen Kühnel, Peter Schmidt] Summary and conclusions: In this paper we have investigated two stategies for the analysis of perceptions, orientations and other mental states variables in structural equation models. The first strategy can be characterized as empiristic and inductivistic since it starts from the solid ground of observation. In a first step true scores are generated by clearing the observed scores from random measurement error. Higher-order latent variables are only introduced in a second step after passing some rigorous statistical tests. A proponent of this strategy will always emphasize that common factors and other latent constructs are rather meaningless if they are not firmly anchored at the observational level. He will therefore set up some hard criteria for common-factor models which are rarely met. As a consequence, this strategy frequently will result in pure true-score models. A proponent of the second, more deductive strategy will object that true scores do not represent the theoretical concepts he is interested in. Theory building requires some highly abstract and general concepts which can be applied to a large variety of situations. These concepts cannot be measured adequately by a single item or a single mode of behavior. In particular, if one attempts to measure a general disposition or trait, an individual's reactions should be observed at different occasions and times. Since the multiple indicator approach by and large meets this requirement, a follower of the second strategy will first try to find some parallel, tauequivalent or congeneric measures for the underlying varibles. If a simple multiple indicator model for an attitude or some other kind of orientation proves incompatible with the data, he will usually not discard the common-factor model as a whole but successively replace a simple structure by a more complicated one, for example, by freeing some additional factor loadings or by admitting systematic measurement error. Thus, the deductive approach will sometimes lead to common-factor models with a rather complex measurement structure. It is true, all of these operations aimed at the improvement of fit are not deductive at all. However, since the second strategy always aims at the adequate measurement of some theoretical concepts, it seems to be at least more deductive than the first. Both strategies have there merits and disadvantages. As can be seen from the empirical analysis of Saris and Putte, the inductivist will analyze the observed items with great care and will usually arrive at a beautifully fitting model. We have benefitted from these virtues: By adopting some of Saris and Putte's assumptions we were able to remove some implausible results from our original model. However, we were not willing to adopt the major drawbacks of the pure true-score models as well. In our view, it has led to a large amount of rather unstable oponions which, at least at present cannot be integrated in any existing theory on opinions and opinion formation. Furthermore, as we have shown in the third section, the pure true-score model becomes very complicated as soon as potential causes and consequences of the opinions are included in the structural equation model. Finally, even within the pure true-score model, Saris and Putte's assumption that the error variance remains constant across all three panel waves remains debatable. Even within the best-fitting pure true-score model the decrease of measurement error beteeen the first and second interview is significant at the 10% level. It would have been highly significant in a reexamination of the model preferred by Saris and Putte for substantive reasons. We can reject Saris and Putte's conceptualization for substantive and methodological but not empirical reasons. This is partly due to the low power of all statistical tests which in turn is due to the small sample size. Thus, our debate should be continued with better data. At present, we can only point to the major advantages of our model in which attitudes are represented by common factors. Attitudes are key concepts in many theories. They are assumed to be highly abstract and general and to indirectly influence behavior under various conditions. We have also shown that the exogenous variables age and education have a direct impact on the general attitude and not on true scores or specific factors. At least with respect to these variables, the common-factor model has proved to be much more parsimonious than the pure true-score model. There may be some other variables with a direct effect on the specific factors and not on the general attitude. However, they are usually of less theoretical interest. In our view, an additional advantage pf our conceptualization lies in the fact that some important implications of the Socratic effect can be observed in our model: In the first interview, we do not only estimate a larger amount of measurement error, but responses also seem to be distorted in the direction of social desirability. Since all these findings fit neatly with some results of psychological experiments, we will stubbornly retain the basic feature of our original conceptualization until it will be disconfirmed with better data. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1990 Jagodzinski Wolfgang Department of Sociology, University of Giessen, Karl-Glockner-Strasse 21E, 63, Giessen, F.R.G. aut Kühnel Steffen Zentralarchiv für empirische Sozialforschung, University of Cologne, Bachemserstrasse 40, 5000, Köln 41, F.R.G. aut Schmidt Peter Department of Sociology, University of Giessen, Karl-Glockner-Strasse 21E, 63, Giessen, F.R.G. aut Quality and Quantity Kluwer Academic Publishers 24/4(1990-11-01), 447-470 0033-5177 24:4<447 1990 24 11135 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152015 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152015 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Jagodzinski Wolfgang Department of Sociology, University of Giessen, Karl-Glockner-Strasse 21E, 63, Giessen, F.R.G aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Kühnel Steffen Zentralarchiv für empirische Sozialforschung, University of Cologne, Bachemserstrasse 40, 5000, Köln 41, F.R.G aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Schmidt Peter Department of Sociology, University of Giessen, Karl-Glockner-Strasse 21E, 63, Giessen, F.R.G aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Quality and Quantity Kluwer Academic Publishers 24/4(1990-11-01), 447-470 0033-5177 24:4<447 1990 24 11135 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer