Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling Research Articles

Estimating nonlinear effects of random slopes: A comparison of multilevel structural equation modeling with a two-step, a single-indicator, and a plausible values approach

Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) is a statistical framework of major relevance for research concerned with people’s intrapersonal dynamics. An application domain that is rapidly gaining relevance is the study of individual differences in the within-person association (WPA) of variables that fluctuate over time. For instance, an individual’s social reactivity – their emotional response to social situations – can be represented as the association between repeated measurements of the individual’s social interaction quantity and momentary well-being. MSEM allows researchers to investigate the associations between WPAs and person-level outcome variables (e.g., life satisfaction) by specifying the WPAs as random slopes in the structural equation on level 1 and using the latent representations of the slopes to predict outcomes on level 2. Here, we are concerned with the case in which a researcher is interested in nonlinear effects of WPAs on person-level outcomes – a U-shaped effect of a WPA, a moderation effect of two WPAs, or an effect of congruence between two WPAs – such that the corresponding MSEM includes latent interactions between random slopes. We evaluate the nonlinear MSEM approach for the three classes of nonlinear effects (U-shaped, moderation, congruence) and compare it with three simpler approaches: a simple two-step approach, a single-indicator approach, and a plausible values approach. We use a simulation study to compare the approaches on accuracy of parameter estimates and inference. We derive recommendations for practice and provide code templates and an illustrative example to help researchers implement the approaches.

The role of boundary-spanning behaviour in enhancing individual innovation performance: a cross-level investigation

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of team boundary-spanning behaviours (BSBs) on innovation performance at both individual and team levels. The study specifically focuses on the mediating effects of knowledge sharing and creative self-efficacy, as well as the boosting influence of perceived superior trust.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a multi-level structural equation model to examine the data collected from 108 teams and 596 individuals. The aim is to investigate both the direct and indirect effects of BSBs on innovation.FindingsThe findings indicate that BSBs have a dual impact on innovation performance, both directly and indirectly through knowledge sharing and creative self-efficacy. Moreover, this impact is magnified by the perceived confidence from higher-ranking individuals.Practical implicationsThe study indicates that managers should cultivate boundary-spanning behaviours (BSBs) and create a trusting environment in order to promote innovation. Facilitating the dissemination of knowledge and enhancing one's belief in their ability to be creative are crucial tactics.Originality/valueThis study provides fresh perspectives on how the behaviours of a team impact the individual results of creativity, emphasising the crucial role of trust in amplifying the beneficial benefits of BSBs on innovation. This study enhances the existing knowledge in the field of organisational behaviour and innovation management by providing a comprehensive analysis of the specific ways in which BSBs influence innovation performance.

On Shared Leadership Modeling: Contrasting Network and Dyadic Approaches

Shared leadership is a dynamic phenomenon that has gained attention in behavioral science and management research over the last two decades. Network modeling is frequently employed to study this phenomenon, with the recent literature favoring a node-based approach over the traditional dyad-based approach. In this study, we investigate the differential impact of these approaches on shared leadership dynamics in student teams, specifically examining their effects on team task cohesion, team social cohesion, and team performance. We utilized multilevel structural equation modeling to compare node-based and dyad-based approaches in modeling shared leadership networks. Our findings indicate that increased leadership interactions positively influenced team performance and cohesion across both approaches. The dyad-based approach demonstrated a greater effect of leadership interactions on team performance, while leadership centrality significantly impacted performance exclusively in the node-based approach. This research contributes to the field by elucidating the differential impacts of node-based and dyad-based approaches, highlighting their strengths in capturing shared leadership dynamics and centrality effects. Our results underscore the critical importance of aligning theoretical foundations and research objectives with methodological choices in shared leadership studies. These insights enhance our understanding of shared leadership measurement and its implications for team outcomes, offering valuable guidance for future empirical investigations in this domain.

Putting ICAP to the test: how technology-enhanced learning activities are related to cognitive and affective-motivational learning outcomes in higher education

Digital technology is considered to have great potential to promote learning in higher education. In line with the Interactive, Constructive, Active, Passive (ICAP) framework, this seems to be particularly true when instructors stimulate high-quality learning activities such as constructive and interactive learning activities instead of active and passive learning activities. Against the background of a lack of empirical studies in authentic, technology-enhanced instructional settings, we investigated the cognitive and affective-motivational effects of these learning activity modes in technology-enhanced higher education courses. To this end, we used 3.820 student assessments regarding 170 course sessions for which the teachers stated the learning activities students were engaged in. Results of multilevel structural equation modelling highlight the importance of technology-enhanced interactive learning activities for students’ perception of learning and the potential negative consequences of passive learning activities for affective-motivational outcomes. However, the superiority of constructive and interactive learning activities compared to passive and active learning activities for cognitive and affective-motivational outcomes was not supported by the findings. Instead, the findings point to potential differential effects of the individual learning activities within one activity mode. Future research should follow up on these effects to gain a more fine-grained understanding of how technology-enhanced learning activities can be optimized to enhance students’ learning outcomes.

Learning how to become an autonomy-supportive teacher begins with perspective taking: A randomized control trial and model test

Using self-determination theory, we sought to explain how teachers learn autonomy-supportive teaching. We randomly assigned 28 teachers (35.3 years-old, grades 7–9) and their 1566 students (13.4 years-old, 50.8% female) to participate or not in an autonomy-supportive teaching workshop. Teacher participation in the workshop increased autonomy-supportive teaching. Results from a multilevel structural equation modeling analysis showed that teachers in the experimental, compared to the control, condition first learned perspective taking skill, then learned the three teaching practices of interest support, value support, and lesser teacher control, which then explained their students’ year-end gains in need satisfaction and declines in need frustration.

More we or more me? How collaboration and autonomy connect with school climate, team innovativeness and school satisfaction among Korea’s teachers

ABSTRACT Prior large-scale research on teacher collaboration and autonomy has failed to distinguish effects within and between schools or among elementary and middle school teachers. This lack of research has implications for professional development in countries like Korea, where national policies have increasingly favoured teacher collaboration. We therefore employed multilevel structural equation modelling to analyse Teaching and Learning International Survey 2018 responses from 5,601 Korean elementary and middle school teachers. Our findings revealed significant direct and indirect effects among the variables of teachers’ perceptions of teacher collaboration, teacher autonomy, school climate, team innovativeness and school satisfaction. At the teacher level, the main differences between elementary school and middle school teachers related to classroom autonomy and team innovativeness. Collaboration and autonomy significantly predicted school satisfaction among elementary school teachers but not middle school teachers. There were also key differences in effects from teacher collaboration and classroom autonomy at the teacher and school levels. The most notable finding was that school climate mediated the relationship between classroom autonomy and school satisfaction at the teacher level. As these factors relate to the uptake and implementation of professional development, we provide key recommendations for local and national policy-makers hoping to optimise learning opportunities for teachers.

Emotion dysregulation and coping motives as mediators of change in cognitive behavioral therapy-based treatments for depression and heavy episodic drinking among college students

BackgroundBoth cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) alone and combined with brief motivational interviewing (CBT + BMI) are associated with reductions in depression, alcohol-related problems (ARP), and heavy alcohol use among college students with co-occurring depression and heavy episodic drinking (HED). Little is known regarding how these interventions facilitate change and the temporal ordering of reductions. This study examined mediators of CBT alone versus CBT + BMI, including (1) emotion regulation constructs (cognitive reappraisal, expressive suppression, avoidance coping) and (2) drinking to cope motives. The temporal relationships between improvement in depression and reduction of ARP and HED were also examined. MethodsData from 94 college students with depression and HED randomized to either eight weeks of CBT alone or CBT + BMI collected during a previous trial were utilized. Multilevel structural equation models were adopted to investigate mediation models. A cross-lagged panel analysis examined temporal relationships between depression, ARP, and HED. ResultsMediators associated with improvement did not differ between the two interventions. In both, depression amelioration was mediated by increased cognitive reappraisal and reduction of avoidance coping and drinking to cope. Reduction of drinking to cope mediated improvements in ARP. LimitationsIt is uncertain whether observed changes can be solely attributed to CBT, or if other factors may have played a role. ConclusionsTreatment programs providing emotion regulation skills to cope with aversive affect, as an alternative to alcohol misuse, may lead to depression improvement.

Sibling and School Bullying Victimization and Its Relation With Children's Subjective Well-Being in Indonesia: The Protective Role of Family and School Climate.

Studies on the influence of family and school climates on the relationships between sibling and school bullying victimization and children's subjective well-being (SWB) in Indonesia are still scarce. The aims of this study are to investigate family and school climates as protective factors for children from the negative consequences of bullying by siblings or other children in school on SWB. The study used the third-wave data of the Children's Worlds survey that was collected in Indonesia in October 2017. Participants of the study were children aged 10 and 12 years old (N = 15,604; 49.8% girls, 50.2% boys, Mean age = 10.55; SD = 1.17). There are four questionnaires used in the study: five items measure bullying at home and at school, the Children's Worlds Subjective Well-Being Scale, six items measure family climate, and four items measure school climate. Data were analyzed using R and the lavaan library for multilevel structural equation modeling, using full information maximum likelihood (FIML) for missing data and robust maximum likelihood (ML) estimation. Results showed that children who experienced bullying incidents, both at home by siblings and at school, predicted lower levels of SWB. School climate and family climate predicted higher levels of SWB. Results also showed that school bullying interacted significantly with school climate, while sibling bullying interacted significantly with family climate. Schools with students that reported more positive levels of family climate also reported higher levels of SWB. Students from public schools reported higher levels of SWB, which is unexpected.

Does formal teacher competence matter for students’ mathematics achievement? Results from Swedish TIMSS 2019

ABSTRACT Research has accumulated on the effects of teachers on student achievement, especially in mathematics. However, empirical evidence regarding the impact of formal teacher competence indicators presents a mixed picture. This study explores the influence of educational level, subject – and grade-specific specialization, teaching experience, and professional development as indicators of formal teacher competence on student mathematics achievement in grade 4 in Sweden. Utilizing data from TIMSS 2019, the study employs confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel structural equation modeling to also test a latent model of formal teacher competence. Results reveal a positive relationship between formal teacher competence and students’ mathematics achievement, even after controlling for students’ socio-economic status and immigration background. Additionally, selection effects were found, suggesting that students in classrooms with a more advantaged composition had more competent teachers. The study underscores the need for an equitable distribution of qualified teachers across schools, highlighting implications for teacher specialization and allocation.

Teachers’ and principals’ perceptions of school emphasis on academic success: measurement invariance, agreement, and relations to student achievement

A school’s emphasis on academic success (SEAS) is a crucial aspect of school climate that can be rated by different informants, such as teachers or principals, and with respect to their perception of different groups’ emphasis on academic success, such as parents or students. We know little about whether there is agreement between these ratings. Utilizing Israeli Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data and multilevel structural equation modeling, we examined how teachers and principals rate teachers’, students’, and parents’ emphasis on academic success and how these ratings are related to student achievement. We found that (a) ratings are invariant across informants; (b) teachers and principals agree on parents’ and students’ yet not teachers’ emphasis; (c) teacher ratings explain more variation in student achievement than principal ratings. Since SEAS ratings diverge by informants and relations to student achievement, researchers need to craft validity arguments in their studies.

Examining trust in the police and justice system among ethnic minority members: The case of Moroccan- and Turkish-Dutch citizens in the Netherlands

While extant studies indicate that ethnic minority citizens report relatively low levels of trust in the police and justice system, it is less clear how that trust can be explained. Thanks to its purposive oversampling of Dutch citizens with Turkish and Moroccan origins and nested structure (individuals clustered within neighbourhoods), the Netherlands Longitudinal Lifecourse Study has enabled us to scrutinise which of the following factors contribute to their trust in the police and justice system: (a) being in a weak socioeconomic position; (b) individual social capital; (c) (perceiving to be) living in underprivileged neighbourhoods characterised by disorder and low social capital; and (d) perceived discrimination. Multilevel structural equation modelling, allowing us to untangle individual perceptions from intersubjective neighbourhood-level conditions, reveals that Moroccan-Dutch citizens report less trust than Turkish-Dutch citizens. We find that perceived neighbourhood disorder and perceived discrimination link to lower trust, while traditional explanations such as socioeconomic position and social capital are far less relevant. We discuss our findings’ implications for ongoing debates on, amongst others, the role of ethnicity and neighbourhood conditions in trust in the police and justice system.

Undergraduate dissertation problems: an aggregate cross-sectional analysis from five Latin American universities

ABSTRACT Latin America may have higher attrition rates than previously assumed. Many students in Latin America do not graduate on time because they cannot complete the traditional undergraduate dissertation. This paper examines the factors contributing to delayed graduation for a context-specific variable: dissertation problems. We designed a questionnaire survey based on multi-item scales and surveyed 480 university students from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Aggregate-cross-sectional data and multilevel structural equation modeling show that institutional assistance and supervision quality [personal problems] reduce [increase] dissertation problems. These results may enable university authorities to identify undergraduate students with dissertation problems and thus improve their strategies for reducing attrition rates.

The mediating role of science intrinsic motivation: effects of homework on science achievement in Western and Asian regions

ABSTRACT This study investigated cross-cultural differences in the relationships between science intrinsic motivation, teacher-perceived and student-perceived homework practices, and science achievement in Asian (Chinese Taipei, Japan, South Korean, and Singapore) and Western (Australia, US, England, and Ireland) top-performing regions according to ranking of science achievement in TIMSS. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel structural equation modelling were conducted using data from 45,448 eighth graders in the 2019 TIMSS study. In Western regions, the teacher control of homework was significantly negatively associated with whole-class science achievement and positively associated with whole-class intrinsic motivation. A higher student-perceived frequency of homework is negatively related to their individual intrinsic motivation and science achievement. However, in Asian regions, teacher-perceived frequency and time spent on homework positively predicted the whole-class intrinsic motivation and science achievement, while in contrast, a higher student-perceived frequency of homework was positively associated with their individual intrinsic motivation and a longer time spent on homework was negatively associated with their intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation in science plays a significant mediating role between students’ and teachers’ homework practices and science achievement at individual and whole-class levels in Asian top performers. There, we discuss at the end that the cultural contexts might influence how teachers and students can use homework best to promote science intrinsic motivation and hence their science achievement.

Examining situational differences in momentary emotion differentiation and emotional clarity in everyday life.

People experience momentary fluctuations in how much they differentiate between emotions and how clear they are about what they are feeling. To better understand situational predictors of shifts in emotion differentiation and emotional clarity, we investigated whether individuals are more differentiated and clearer about their emotions in social situations (vs. alone) given that emotions fulfill important social functions. We tested if these within-person associations varied depending on socially relevant individual differences, including age, extraversion, and social connectedness. We also examined whether people are more differentiated and clearer in situations that have previously been processed (i.e., familiar situations) and if this effect was stronger for older (vs. younger) adults. Community adults (N = 290, aged 25-85 years) completed measures of extraversion and social connectedness and then were randomly prompted 6 times a day for 10 days to report on their current emotional experience and situation. Using multilevel structural equation modeling, social context was associated with less positive emotion differentiation and not associated with emotional clarity; these within-person associations did not differ by age, extraversion, or social connectedness. Individuals experienced more differentiated positive emotions and higher emotional clarity than usual when they were in more (vs. less) familiar situations. Familiarity was especially predictive of higher positive emotion differentiation among relatively older (vs. younger) adults. These findings suggest positive emotion differentiation, particularly in familiar situations could be a way in which the quality of one's emotional experience changes with age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A test of competing mediators linking trouble sleeping to cannabis use in adolescents and emerging adults.

This study examined day-level associations between trouble sleeping and three cannabis-use indices (likelihood/quantity of use and impaired control). We evaluated behavioral and cognitive mediators of the association between trouble sleeping and cannabis outcomes. Youth (N = 86, ages 15-24, 48.8% female, 58.8% White, 18.6% Latine) who regularly used cannabis were recruited for an intervention study. This preregistered secondary data analysis leveraged data from a 1-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) study completed prior to intervention. Trouble sleeping, cannabis use, and impaired control over use were assessed each morning; negative affect, risk-taking propensity, and cannabis craving were assessed multiple times and aggregated to create a daily average. Multilevel structural equation modeling evaluated hypothesized temporally sequenced associations and putative mechanisms at the day (i.e., within) and person (i.e., between) level. In bivariate analyses at the person level, there were large-effect associations between trouble sleeping and craving and negative affect, and between craving and cannabis-use likelihood and quantity (rs from .34 to .48). In multilevel analyses at the day level, participants were less likely to use cannabis the next day after reporting more trouble sleeping (β = -.65, p < .001). Trouble sleeping was not directly associated with subsequent cannabis-use quantity or impaired control, or indirectly via negative affect, risk-taking propensity, or craving. Trouble sleeping had differential relations with cannabis-use indices at the day and person levels. To promote youth health and reduce cannabis use, future research may consider the unique, person- and situation-driven mechanistic processes at play. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The mechanism of adolescent environmental passion influencing parent pro-environmental behavior

As environmental education within schools is vigorously pursued, the phenomenon of adolescents influencing their parent pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) is becoming a matter of importance. In order to further understand this phenomenon, utilizing the perspective of reverse socialization, this study constructed a model of the mechanisms underlying adolescent environmental passion (EP) influencing parent PEB. The longitudinal study collected 824 valid paired data points from 154 families, and Multilevel Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM) was employed to verify the model. The results show that adolescent EP positively influences parent PEB, and that adolescent PEB and knowledge transfer play a mediating role. Furthermore, concerning the influence of adolescent EP on adolescent PEB and knowledge transfer, the family conversation pattern plays an amplifying role, while the family conformity pattern has a diminishing effect.

How transformational leadership promotes employee creativity within the context of environmental dynamism: a multilevel perspective

PurposeThis study aims to explore how transformational leadership influences employees' creativity by considering the role of the environment and psychology. The study aims to provide insights into the impact of transformational leadership on team innovation climate, team reflexivity, psychological capital and employee creativity while also examining the moderating effect of environmental dynamism on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a multi-source, multi-wave approach, utilizing data from 618 participants in 118 teams. It constructed a multilevel structural equation model and estimated the confidence intervals of the mediated and moderated effects using the Markov chain Monte Carlo method.FindingsThe results of the multilevel analyses indicated that transformational leadership positively influenced the team innovation climate, team reflexivity, psychological capital and employee creativity. Moreover, the study found that environmental dynamism positively moderates the relationships among transformational leadership, team reflexivity, psychological capital and employee creativity.Originality/valueDrawing on social cognitive theory and the motivated information processing in groups model, this study offers new insights into the interplay between transformational leadership and creativity. It examines the moderating role of cross-level process linkages and environmental dynamism, thereby validating and extending relevant theories.

Intertwining self-efficacy, basic psychological need satisfaction, and emotions in higher education teaching: A micro-longitudinal study

AbstractPrior research has explored various factors to explain differences in teaching experiences and behaviors among school teachers, including self-efficacy, basic psychological need satisfaction, and emotions. However, these factors have predominantly been examined in isolation, and limited research has investigated their role in the context of higher education teaching. To address these research gaps, analyses on both the within and between teacher level are needed. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate the interplay between these motivational and emotional constructs on both levels, as well as the relevance and applicability of prior research findings on school teachers to the context of higher education teaching at universities. In a micro-longitudinal study, 103 university teachers from Germany (49 female; average age: 41.4 years, SD = 11.0) completed assessments of their self-efficacy in 748 sessions directly before their teaching sessions, as well as their basic psychological need satisfaction and discrete emotions directly after. Multilevel structural equation modeling revealed positive associations between self-efficacy and basic psychological need satisfaction. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with negative emotions, and positive indirect effects on positive emotions as well as negative indirect effects on negative emotions were identified through satisfaction of the needs for competence and relatedness. Basic psychological need satisfaction was positively related to positive emotions and vice versa—however, unexpected positive associations between relatedness and negative emotions emerged and require further research.

Fostering public sector employees’ citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors through human resource flexibility and employee perceptions of normative public values

Purpose Public sector employees’ contributions play a crucial role in improving public service quality and promoting the image of public organizations. The aim of this research is to unravel how and when human resource (HR) flexibility activates citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors among public sector employees.Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 427 public sector employees and 102 supervisors working for governmental agencies from the districts of a major city in Vietnam. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was employed to analyze the data.Findings The positive associations between HR flexibility and the three dimensions of citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors were supported. Harmonious passion demonstrated a mediating path for such linkages. Employee perceptions of normative public values were found to exert a positive moderating effect on the positive link between HR flexibility and harmonious passion, as well as their indirect link via harmonious passion.Originality/value This study advances the literature by identifying how and when HR flexibility shapes citizen-oriented boundary-spanning behaviors among public sector employees.

Enabling older employees' well‐being through HR attributions: The moderating role of management context

AbstractFusing the extant literature on successful aging at work (SAW) and HR attributions, we examined the confluence of employee‐oriented internal HR attributions and unit‐level employee management context on burnout for employees across the age spectrum. Time‐lagged, multi‐level survey data were collected from a sample of 1762 blue‐collar employees from 178 work units at the manufacturing plants of a large firm operating in the Turkish energy industry, which is characterized as a high‐risk safety environment. A cross‐level moderated mediation model was tested using multi‐level structural equation modeling (MSEM). Results supported study hypotheses such that the negative association between age and burnout was mediated by employee‐oriented positive HR attributions, and this indirect association was moderated by unit‐level perceptions of the employee management context. Development‐oriented contexts that emphasized personal development/growth—indicated by the degree of emphasis on innovation strategy, safety training, and active unit safety leadership—weakened the negative indirect (i.e., buffering) effect of age on burnout via less positive HR attributions. Conversely, a maintenance‐oriented context that emphasized maintaining the status quo—indicated by passive unit safety leadership—strengthened said effect through more positive HR attributions. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for fostering employee well‐being across the age spectrum are discussed.