Structural Equation Modeling in Clinical Assessment Research With Children

The use of structural equation modeling has gained increased interest in recent years in the social and behavioral sciences. This article reviews the basic tenets of structural modeling in relation to issues in research and practice involving clinical assessment and compares this approach with more traditional psychometric approaches to the validation of assessment instruments with children. Arguments for and against the inclusion of nonexperimental variables in causal studies aimed at establishing construct validity are also discussed. An illustrative example of the application of structural equation modeling in clinical assessment research is provided, and a comparison is made between this approach and traditional psychometric procedures. Implications and suggestions for the use of structural modeling are discussed for both the practitioner and the clinical researcher.