Dyadic Structural Equation Modeling

Scripting of structural equation models via 'lavaan' for Dyadic Data Analysis, and helper functions for supplemental calculations, tabling, and model visualization.

dySEM

Summary

The dySEM helps automate the process of scripting, fitting, and reporting on latent models of dyadic data via lavaan. The package was initially developed and used in the course of the research described in Sakaluk, Fisher, and Kilshaw (2021), and has since undergone considerable expansion.

dySEM currently contains 68 functions, of which 25 are user-facing (i.e., exported), which are covered by 536 unit tests.

The dySEM logo was designed by Lowell Deranleau (for logo design inquiries, email: [email protected]).

Installation

You can install the released version of dySEM from CRAN with:

install.packages("dySEM")

You can install the development version from GitHub with:

devtools::install_github("jsakaluk/dySEM")

Current Functionality

The package currently provides functionality regarding the following types of latent dyadic data models:

Uni-Construct Models

1. Univariate Dyadic Model
2. Correlated Dyadic Factors Model
3. Hierarchical Dyadic Factor Model
4. Bifactor Dyadic Model

Bi-Construct Models

1. Latent Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM)
2. Latent Common Fate Models (CFM)
3. Latent Bifactor Dyadic (Bi-Dy) Models
4. Observed Actor-Partner Interdependence (APIM)

Multi-Construct Models

1. Multiple Correlated Dyadic Factors Model (Dyadic Confirmatory Factor Analysis)
2. Dyadic Exploratory Factor Analysis

Indistinguishability-Related Models

1. I-SAT Model
2. I-NULL Model

Additional features currently include:

• Automated specification of invariance constraints for any model, including full indistinguishability
• Wrapper-function to provide variable-and-parameter specific tests of noninvariance
• Functions to assist with reproducible creation of path diagrams and tables of statistical output
• Functions to calculate supplemental statistical information (e.g., omega reliability, noninvariance effect sizes, corrected model fit indexes)
• Multiple open-access datasets for learning, practicing, and teaching about dyadic SEM

Future Functionality

Shorter-term development goals include:

1. Improving test coverage
2. Covariate scripting and optionality
3. Improved ease of item selection in scraper functions

Longer-term goals, meanwhile, include:

1. “Third-variable” models (e.g., mediators and moderators)
2. Longitudinal dyadic model scripting functions (e.g., curve of factors, common fate growth)
3. Latent dyadic response surface analysis scripting and visualization functions
4. Multi-group dyadic model scripting (e.g., comparing models from samples of heterosexual vs. LGBTQ+ dyads)

Collaboration

Please submit any feature requests via the dySEM issues page, using the “Wishlist for dySEM Package Development” tag.

If you are interested in collaborating on the development of dySEM, please contact Dr. Sakaluk.

dySEM Workflow

A dySEM workflow typically involves five steps, which are covered in-depth in the Overview vignette. Briefly, these steps include:

1. Import and wrangle data
2. Scrape variables from your data frame
3. Script your preferred model
4. Fit and Inspect your model via lavaan
5. Output statistical visualizations and/or tables

There are additional optional functions, as well, that help users to calculate certain additional quantitative values (e.g., reliability, corrected model fit indexes in models with indistinguishable dyad members).

#> Warning: package 'ggplot2' was built under R version 4.4.3

1. Import and wrangle data

Structural equation modeling (SEM) programs like lavaan require dyadic data to be in dyad structure data set, whereby each row contains the data for one dyad, with separate columns for each observation made for each member of the dyad. For example:

DRES
#> # A tibble: 121 × 18
#>    PRQC_1.1 PRQC_2.1 PRQC_3.1 PRQC_4.1 PRQC_5.1 PRQC_6.1 PRQC_7.1 PRQC_8.1
#>       <int>    <int>    <int>    <int>    <int>    <int>    <int>    <int>
#>  1        7        7        7        7        7        7        7        5
#>  2        6        6        6        7        7        6        5        5
#>  3        7        7        7        7        7        7        7        6
#>  4        6        6        6        7        7        6        5        6
#>  5        7        7        7        7        7        6        7        6
#>  6        6        6        6        6        6        3        6        5
#>  7        7        6        7        6        6        6        5        6
#>  8        6        7        7        7        7        6        5        6
#>  9        7        7        7        7        7        6        6        6
#> 10        6        6        6        7        7        7        4        4
#> # ℹ 111 more rows
#> # ℹ 10 more variables: PRQC_9.1 <int>, PRQC_1.2 <int>, PRQC_2.2 <int>,
#> #   PRQC_3.2 <int>, PRQC_4.2 <int>, PRQC_5.2 <int>, PRQC_6.2 <int>,
#> #   PRQC_7.2 <int>, PRQC_8.2 <int>, PRQC_9.2 <int>

2. Scrape variables from your data frame

The dySEM scrapers consider appropriately repetitiously named indicators as consisting of at least three distinct elements: stem, item, and partner. Delimiter characters (e.g., “.”, “_“) are commonly–but not always–used to separate some/all of these elements.dySEM scrapers largely function by asking you to specify in what order the elements of variable names are ordered.

dvn <- scrapeVarCross(DRES, x_order = "sip", x_stem = "PRQC", x_delim1="_",x_delim2=".",  distinguish_1="1", distinguish_2="2")
#> 
#> ── Variable Scraping Summary ──
#> 
#> ✔ Successfully scraped 1 latent variable: PRQC
#> ℹ PRQC: 9 indicators for P1 (1), 9 indicators for P2 (2)
#> ℹ Total indicators: 18

3. Script your preferred model

Scripter functions like scriptCor typically require only three arguments to be specified:

1. the dvn object (e.g., from scrapeVarCross) to be used to script the model
2. arbitrary name(s) for the latent variable(s) you are modeling
3. the kind of parameter equality constraints that you wish to be imposed (if any)

qual.indist.script <- scriptCor(dvn, lvname = "Quality")

This function returns a character object with lavaan compliant syntax for your chosen model, as well as exporting a reproducible .txt of the scripted model to a /scripts folder in your working directory.

4. Fit and Inspect your model via lavaan

You can immediately pass any script(s) returned from a dySEM scripter to your preferred lavaan wrapper, with your estimator and missing data treatment of choice. For example:

qual.indist.fit <- lavaan::cfa(qual.indist.script, data = DRES, std.lv = FALSE, auto.fix.first= FALSE, meanstructure = TRUE)

At this point, the full arsenal of lavaan model-inspecting tools are at your disposal. For example:

summary(qual.indist.fit, fit.measures = TRUE, standardized = TRUE, rsquare = TRUE)

5. Output statistical visualizations and/or tables

dySEM also contains functionality to help you quickly, correctly, and reproducibly generate output from your fitted model(s), in the forms of path diagrams and/or tables of statistical values. By default these save to a temporary directory, but you can specify a directory of your choice by replacing tempdir() (e.g., with ".", which will place it in your current working directory).

outputParamTab(dvn, model = "cfa", fit = qual.indist.fit, 
               tabletype = "measurement", writeTo = tempdir(), 
               fileName = "cfa_indist")

outputParamFig(fit = qual.indist.fit, figtype = "standardized",
               writeTo = tempdir(), 
               fileName = "cfa_indist")

Code of Conduct

Please note that the dySEM project is released with a Contributor Code of Conduct. By contributing to this project, you agree to abide by its terms.

Acknowledgements

The development of dySEM has been generously supported by Internal Grants from Western University, including:

• a Research Mobilization, Creation & Innovation Grants for SSHRC-Related Research
• a Western Knowledge Mobilization Innovation Grants