Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling, Third Edition (Methodology in the Social Sciences)

I learned SEM from Bollen's 1989 classic, but I needed something I could recommend to grad students in applied research who haven't studied matrix algebra or distribution theory. I was surprised to find out that Kline delivers an accessible book that also deals with important issues such as identification and estimation in a satisfactory manner. It is also up to date and addresses software. I was prepared to poo-poo this book but i think it does a good job at getting the essentials of SEM across to a non-technical audience.

When Joreskog and his colleagues introduced LISREL into social science discourse, my dissertation director was despondent. An old fogy at 40!If he's alive today, however, I'm sure he feels much better. He'd be 64 now, and chances are he's had a chance to read Rex Kline's Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling. Coupled with new, much more user-friendly software such as AMOS and CALIS, Kline's SEM book is not only readable but almost easy, while at the same time being comprehensive in coverage.I never thought I'd see a book that presents not only the order condition for identification, but the rank condition, as well, without using matrix algebra. But Kline pulls it off. This example exemplifies Kline's talent for making really complex statistical procedures eminently accessible.If my dissertation director is still working, I'm sure he's no longer intimidated by SEM, and he's using it to estimate informative models. In large measure, I'd be willing to guess, his new-found analytical power is due to Rex Kline's excellent textbook. I've benefited enormously from reading it.

Great book for SEM, but it can be really really really really dry. Also, I had a real hard time caring about most of the examples.The explanation of path theory was randomly dense and unintelligible. They are definitely not writing for neophytes.

The problem with most SEM books is that they either contain so much difficult math that you already forget what the purpose of the equation was once you finish studying it, or that they are very dry "how-to" guides that explain how to feed a software program. This book is different: it communicates the big picture, explains the why and the how, and points to areas that require special attention. This is the most clearly written introductions to SEM available.

Used this in an introductory SEM course. We followed this book almost religiously, even though we also were supposed to use the Raykov and Marcoulides book. This book has a good balance of theory and rules of thumb, although perhaps may be not technical enough (in terms of the underlying mathematics) for more advanced users. Comes with a pretty decent collection of syntax files for LISREL, Mplus, and EQS, and there are quite a few interesting and substantive examples that Kline uses in detail throughout the book.

Love this book! Very easy to read and the author is very blunt about things other authors seem to tip toe around. Thank you Kline!

Good reference.

This is a great book for those starting out in SEM as well as a refresher in the technique. It's well written and accurate. I was able to follow the examples and practice files using both AMOS and Lisrel. I actually read the entire book, which is rather rare for me. Highly recommended!

thanks a lot!

I love it. It was in a very good condition!

Excellent

Excellent resource for SEM and path analysis. Easy to follow! Full of helpful information!

Great resource.

Updated version of an excellent resource guide. Recommended for any student or professional that uses SEM in their work.

excellent!

Great book for grad students or professors (like me) who want to be able to cite reasons why you're making the decisions you're making with your SEMing.

Good book

It's just that I bought in a kindle version because of time, but I actually prefer a paper book