Name of Concept
Structural Equation Modeling in Couple and Family Research
Introduction
Theories about couples and families focus us beyond simple relationships between variables to more complicated models that take into account direct and indirect relationships. The study of couple and family therapy process in particular tests theories about how therapy improves outcomes through some mediating variable. For example, improvement in the parent/child attachment relationship is considered an important mechanism of change in family therapy for adolescent depression (Kobak et al. 2015). According to attachment theory, family therapy reduces depressive symptoms through improvement in the parent/child relationship (the mediator). Structural equation modeling (SEM) provides a single statistical method of testing mediation models, as long as the necessary conditions are satisfied (e.g., temporal precedence and third variable controls).
Description
SEM refers to a statistical method used to...
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Herres, J., Hunt, Q., Diamond, G.S. (2019). Structural Equation Modeling in Couple and Family Research. In: Lebow, J.L., Chambers, A.L., Breunlin, D.C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_411
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49425-8_411
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