Parceling is referred to as a procedure for computing sums or average scores across multiple items. Parcels instead of individual items are then used as indicators of latent factors in the structural equation modeling analysis (Bandalos 2002, 2008; Little et al., 2002; Yang, Nay, & Hoyle, 2010). Item parceling may be applied to alleviate some problems in analysis with missing data (e.g., MCAR, MAR, and MNAR) and/or nonnormal data. No simulation study has been conducted to examine whether using parceling leads to better (at least not worse) results than individual items when there are missing values and nonnormality issues in the dataset. The purpose of this study is to investigate how item parceling behaves under various simulated conditions in structural equation modeling with missing and non-normal distributed data. The design factors of the simulation study included sample size, missingness mechanism, percentage of missingness, degree of nonnormality for individual items, and magnitude of factor loadings. For each condition, 2000 datasets were generated. Each generated dataset was analyzed at both parcel and item levels using full information maximum likelihood estimation method. All analysis models were considered correctly specified. The results of the simulation showed that models based on parcels were less likely to be rejected than those based on individual items. Specifically, parcel analysis tended to result in smaller empirical alpha based on the chi-square test, greater CFI, and smaller RMSEA and SRMR. In addition, Parameter estimates from parcel level analysis performed equally well or slightly better than those from item level analysis in all conditions. In general, parcel level analysis yielded results as good as or better than those from item level analysis under any type of missing mechanisms, different degrees of nonnormality of data, and percentage of missingness. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / November 1, 2013. / Item Parceling, Missing Data, SEM, Simulation, Structural Equation Modeling / Includes bibliographical references. / Yanyun Yang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Adrian Barbu, University Representative; Betsy Becker, Committee Member; Russell Almond, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_185150 |
| Contributors | Orcan, Fatih (authoraut), Yang, Yanyun (professor directing dissertation), Barbu, Adrian (university representative), Becker, Betsy (committee member), Almond, Russell (committee member), Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
| Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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