Tiffany A Whittaker
Biographic Data
| ID | 4462008 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Tiffany A Whittaker |
| GIVEN NAMES | Tiffany A |
| FAMILY NAME | Whittaker |
| SIGNATURE | WHITTAKER T A |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at Austin |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1557-0199 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 436 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
The Performance of Equivalence-Based Fit Indices with Bootstrapped Confidence Intervals and Varied Tolerable Cutoffs
This study examines equivalence testing for assessing model fit in structural equation modeling (SEM). Equivalence testing evaluates whether model misspecification is sufficiently small to be considered tolerable rather than testing for exact model fit. Using a Monte Carlo simulation, this study evaluates equivalence testing procedures incorporating bootstrapped confidence intervals and alternative cutoff values for SEM fit indices, providing emp…
Development of a Method for Handling Doubly-Censored Data in a Latent Growth Curve Modeling Framework
This study addresses the challenge of doubly-censoring effects in longitudinal data structures, particularly within latent growth curve models (LGCMs). Censoring can severely bias estimates and inferences, distorting the relationships between growth factors and covariates. To combat this issue, this study introduces the Generalized Tobit estimator (GBIT), an advancement of the conventional Tobit model, designed to handle mixed censoring effects i…
Investigating Latent Interaction Effects in Multiple-Group Analysis in the Structural Equation Modeling Framework
This study aims to address a gap in the social and behavioral sciences literature concerning interaction effects between latent factors in multiple-group analysis. By comparing two approaches for estimating latent interactions within multiple-group analysis frameworks using simulation studies and empirical data, we assess their relative merits. Our simulation study results demonstrated the superiority of the Latent Moderated Structural Equations …
Model Estimation Approaches for Fully-Latent Principal Stratification with Small Samples
Latent Growth Model with Categorical Indicators: Comparison of the Different Estimators
The Role of Student Beliefs in Dual-Enrollment Courses
Detecting Latent Classes Through Mediation in Regression Mixture Models
The current study aims to investigate mediation in regression mixture models. There has been little research that has examined the combination of mediation and regression mixture models to determine if there are latent subgroups that vary in their levels of mediation. This investigation aims to address this gap by simulating varying conditions of sample size, number of latent classes, mixing proportions, class intercept separation, direct effects…
Application of Associative Discrete-Time Survival Analysis Using Latent Transition Specification
This article demonstrates an associative latent transition-based model for analyzing the association between two discrete-time survival analysis (DTSA) models. DTSA allows social and behavioral researchers to investigate the qualitative change in event occurrence. Typically, DTSA is applied to a single survival process, where the hazard of an event occurrence is estimated across time. However, when researchers have hypotheses concerning the relat…
Parallel Process Latent Growth Modeling with Multivariate Confounders/Suppressors
A parallel process growth model is often limited to the developments of two main trends due to model complexity. Two major parallel processes are only modeled to examine how the changes in two longitudinal processes might be related without considering other growth models possibly related to the two main processes. However, the exclusion of a third LGM risks introducing bias into key associations while capturing the relations between only two gro…
Comparison of Three Approaches to Class Enumeration in Growth Mixture Modeling when Time Structures are Variant Across Latent Classes
In conventional approaches to Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM), a trajectory is first estimated using latent growth curve modeling that serves as a baseline trajectory for the GMM. In this approach, time structures are held invariant across latent classes when identifying the number of latent classes. However, this popular way of conducting GMM could undermine a proper estimation, especially under the condition where a distinct trajectory exists for…
Exploring the Enumeration Accuracy of Cross-Validation Indices in Latent Class Analysis
A crucial issue when estimating mixture models is selecting the model with the correct number of latent classes underlying the data, which is commonly referred to as class enumeration. Although cross-validation methods have been suggested with mixture models to help augment the class enumeration process (Masyn, 2013), they have been seldom used. The purpose of this simulation study was to compare the performance of traditionally used single sampl…
The Impact of Item Parceling on Structural Parameter Invariance in Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling
Item parcels are the indicators of a factor which are created by summing or averaging scores of individual items. Item parceling has been widely applied in structural equation modeling (SEM) but has been less discussed in the multi-group context, especially for structural parameter invariance. The present study investigated the effect of item parceling on parameter bias and invariance tests at the structural level (i.e., latent means and a struct…
The Performance of Multivariate Methods for Two-Group Comparisons with Small Samples and Incomplete Data
In intervention studies having multiple outcomes, researchers often use a series of univariate tests (e.g., ANOVAs) to assess group mean differences. Previous research found that this approach properly controls Type I error and generally provides greater power compared to MANOVA, especially under realistic effect size and correlation combinations. However, when group differences are assessed for a specific outcome, these procedures are strictly u…
The Comparison of Latent Variable Propensity Score Models to Traditional Propensity Score Models under Conditions of Covariate Unreliability
Propensity score (PS) methods are implemented by researchers to balance the differences between participants in control and treatment groups that exist in observational studies using a set of baseline covariates. Propensity scores are most commonly calculated using baseline covariates in a logistic regression model to predict the binary grouping variable (control versus treatment). Low reliability associated with the covariates can adversely impa…
Preliminary findings of the links between gender role attitudes and sexual behaviors in Mexican American early adolescent boys
This study explored the relations between Latino gender role attitudes (traditional machismo attitudes and caballerismo attitudes) and sexual behaviors among 242 Mexican American early adolescent boys in the southwest United States. Specifically, a multiple mediator model estimated the association between gender role attitudes and sexual activity through a mediational pathway connecting substance use, sexual motives, and peer influence. Results f…
Familial ethnic socialization, gender role attitudes, and ethnic identity development in Mexican-origin early adolescents
This study underscores the importance of FES and positive gender role attitudes in the link to ethnic identity development among Mexican-origin preadolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record
Multivariate Models for Normal and Binary Responses in Intervention Studies
Use of multivariate analysis (e.g., multivariate analysis of variance) is common when normally distributed outcomes are collected in intervention research. However, when mixed responses—a set of normal and binary outcomes—are collected, standard multivariate analyses are no longer suitable. While mixed responses are often obtained in intervention studies and analysis models that can simultaneously include such outcomes are available, we found ver…
Item Response Theory in Scale Development Research: A Critical Analysis
As scale development researchers, we have followed Mallinckrodt and colleagues’ work over recent years with significant interest. The scale development process can be challenging and typically demands a large investment of time. However, the end of the process is rewarding when the resulting scale is psychometrically sound. Mallinckrodt, Miles, and Recabarren’s contribution in this volume of The Counseling Psychologist attempted to help integrate…
Perceived Discrimination, Peer Influence and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Preadolescents
Perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls: The role of psychological distress, sexual attitudes, and marianismo beliefs
This study underscores the importance of psychological distress in the perceived discrimination and sexual precursor link as well as the compensatory aspects of marianismo against sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls. (PsycINFO Database Record
The Impact of Varied Discrimination Parameters on Mixed-Format Item Response Theory Model Selection
Whittaker, Chang, and Dodd compared the performance of model selection criteria when selecting among mixed-format IRT models and found that the criteria did not perform adequately when selecting the more parameterized models. It was suggested by M. S. Johnson that the problems when selecting the more parameterized models may be because of the low variance of the discrimination parameters used to generate the data. This simulation study reproduced…
Using the Modification Index and Standardized Expected Parameter Change for Model Modification
Model modification is oftentimes conducted after discovering a badly fitting structural equation model. During the modification process, the modification index (MI) and the standardized expected parameter change (SEPC) are 2 statistics that may be used to aid in the selection of parameters to add to a model to improve the fit. The purpose of this study was to extend the literature by examining the performance of the MI and the SEPC used independe…
Stay-at-home fathers' reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences: A preliminary report
This exploratory study reports on the reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences of 207 stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs). Overall, economic, pragmatic reasons and strong parenting values were the most common reasons guiding the decision to become a SAHF. Approximately half of the fathers experienced a stigma-based incident based on their SAHF status. Reasons participants reported for experiencing stigma including lack of familiarity with th…
The Performance of Cross-Validation Indices Used to Select Among Competing Covariance Structure Models Under Multivariate Nonnormality Conditions
Cudeck and Browne (1983) proposed using cross-validation as a model selection technique in structural equation modeling. The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of eight cross-validation indices under conditions not yet examined in the relevant literature, such as nonnormality and cross-validation design. The performance of each cross-validation index was measured in terms of true model selection rate as well as consistency of mod…
Scale Development Research: A Content Analysis and Recommendations for Best Practices
The authors conducted a content analysis on new scale development articles appearing in the Journal of Counseling Psychology during 10 years (1995 to 2004). The authors analyze and discuss characteristics of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis procedures in these scale development studies with respect to sample characteristics, factorability, extraction methods, rotation methods, item deletion or retention, factor retention, and mode…
Scale Development Research: A Content Analysis and Recommendations for Best Practices
The authors conducted a content analysis on new scale development articles appearing in the Journal of Counseling Psychology during 10 years (1995 to 2004). The authors analyze and discuss characteristics of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis procedures in these scale development studies with respect to sample characteristics, factorability, extraction methods, rotation methods, item deletion or retention, factor retention, and mode…
Stay-at-home fathers' reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences: A preliminary report
This exploratory study reports on the reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences of 207 stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs). Overall, economic, pragmatic reasons and strong parenting values were the most common reasons guiding the decision to become a SAHF. Approximately half of the fathers experienced a stigma-based incident based on their SAHF status. Reasons participants reported for experiencing stigma including lack of familiarity with th…
Familial ethnic socialization, gender role attitudes, and ethnic identity development in Mexican-origin early adolescents
This study underscores the importance of FES and positive gender role attitudes in the link to ethnic identity development among Mexican-origin preadolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record
Perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls: The role of psychological distress, sexual attitudes, and marianismo beliefs
This study underscores the importance of psychological distress in the perceived discrimination and sexual precursor link as well as the compensatory aspects of marianismo against sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls. (PsycINFO Database Record
Perceived Discrimination, Peer Influence and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Preadolescents
Item Response Theory in Scale Development Research: A Critical Analysis
As scale development researchers, we have followed Mallinckrodt and colleagues’ work over recent years with significant interest. The scale development process can be challenging and typically demands a large investment of time. However, the end of the process is rewarding when the resulting scale is psychometrically sound. Mallinckrodt, Miles, and Recabarren’s contribution in this volume of The Counseling Psychologist attempted to help integrate…
Preliminary findings of the links between gender role attitudes and sexual behaviors in Mexican American early adolescent boys
This study explored the relations between Latino gender role attitudes (traditional machismo attitudes and caballerismo attitudes) and sexual behaviors among 242 Mexican American early adolescent boys in the southwest United States. Specifically, a multiple mediator model estimated the association between gender role attitudes and sexual activity through a mediational pathway connecting substance use, sexual motives, and peer influence. Results f…
A Comparison of Methods to Test for Mediation in Multisite Experiments
A Monte Carlo study extended the research of MacKinnon, Lockwood, Hoffman, West, and Sheets (2002) for single-level designs by examining the statistical performance of four methods to test for mediation in a multilevel experimental design. The design studied was a two-group experiment that was replicated across several sites, included a single intervening variable and outcome, and assumed that the effects of the treatment and mediator were consta…
The Performance of Cross-Validation Indices Used to Select Among Competing Covariance Structure Models Under Multivariate Nonnormality Conditions
Cudeck and Browne (1983) proposed using cross-validation as a model selection technique in structural equation modeling. The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of eight cross-validation indices under conditions not yet examined in the relevant literature, such as nonnormality and cross-validation design. The performance of each cross-validation index was measured in terms of true model selection rate as well as consistency of mod…
Scale Development Research: A Content Analysis and Recommendations for Best Practices
The authors conducted a content analysis on new scale development articles appearing in the Journal of Counseling Psychology during 10 years (1995 to 2004). The authors analyze and discuss characteristics of the exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis procedures in these scale development studies with respect to sample characteristics, factorability, extraction methods, rotation methods, item deletion or retention, factor retention, and mode…
Stay-at-home fathers' reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences: A preliminary report
This exploratory study reports on the reasons for entering the role and stigma experiences of 207 stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs). Overall, economic, pragmatic reasons and strong parenting values were the most common reasons guiding the decision to become a SAHF. Approximately half of the fathers experienced a stigma-based incident based on their SAHF status. Reasons participants reported for experiencing stigma including lack of familiarity with th…
Using the Modification Index and Standardized Expected Parameter Change for Model Modification
Model modification is oftentimes conducted after discovering a badly fitting structural equation model. During the modification process, the modification index (MI) and the standardized expected parameter change (SEPC) are 2 statistics that may be used to aid in the selection of parameters to add to a model to improve the fit. The purpose of this study was to extend the literature by examining the performance of the MI and the SEPC used independe…
The Impact of Varied Discrimination Parameters on Mixed-Format Item Response Theory Model Selection
Whittaker, Chang, and Dodd compared the performance of model selection criteria when selecting among mixed-format IRT models and found that the criteria did not perform adequately when selecting the more parameterized models. It was suggested by M. S. Johnson that the problems when selecting the more parameterized models may be because of the low variance of the discrimination parameters used to generate the data. This simulation study reproduced…
Perceived discrimination and sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls: The role of psychological distress, sexual attitudes, and marianismo beliefs
This study underscores the importance of psychological distress in the perceived discrimination and sexual precursor link as well as the compensatory aspects of marianismo against sexual precursor behaviors in Mexican American preadolescent girls. (PsycINFO Database Record
Multivariate Models for Normal and Binary Responses in Intervention Studies
Use of multivariate analysis (e.g., multivariate analysis of variance) is common when normally distributed outcomes are collected in intervention research. However, when mixed responses—a set of normal and binary outcomes—are collected, standard multivariate analyses are no longer suitable. While mixed responses are often obtained in intervention studies and analysis models that can simultaneously include such outcomes are available, we found ver…
Item Response Theory in Scale Development Research: A Critical Analysis
As scale development researchers, we have followed Mallinckrodt and colleagues’ work over recent years with significant interest. The scale development process can be challenging and typically demands a large investment of time. However, the end of the process is rewarding when the resulting scale is psychometrically sound. Mallinckrodt, Miles, and Recabarren’s contribution in this volume of The Counseling Psychologist attempted to help integrate…
Perceived Discrimination, Peer Influence and Sexual Behaviors in Mexican American Preadolescents
Familial ethnic socialization, gender role attitudes, and ethnic identity development in Mexican-origin early adolescents
This study underscores the importance of FES and positive gender role attitudes in the link to ethnic identity development among Mexican-origin preadolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record
Preliminary findings of the links between gender role attitudes and sexual behaviors in Mexican American early adolescent boys
This study explored the relations between Latino gender role attitudes (traditional machismo attitudes and caballerismo attitudes) and sexual behaviors among 242 Mexican American early adolescent boys in the southwest United States. Specifically, a multiple mediator model estimated the association between gender role attitudes and sexual activity through a mediational pathway connecting substance use, sexual motives, and peer influence. Results f…
The Performance of Multivariate Methods for Two-Group Comparisons with Small Samples and Incomplete Data
In intervention studies having multiple outcomes, researchers often use a series of univariate tests (e.g., ANOVAs) to assess group mean differences. Previous research found that this approach properly controls Type I error and generally provides greater power compared to MANOVA, especially under realistic effect size and correlation combinations. However, when group differences are assessed for a specific outcome, these procedures are strictly u…
The Comparison of Latent Variable Propensity Score Models to Traditional Propensity Score Models under Conditions of Covariate Unreliability
Propensity score (PS) methods are implemented by researchers to balance the differences between participants in control and treatment groups that exist in observational studies using a set of baseline covariates. Propensity scores are most commonly calculated using baseline covariates in a logistic regression model to predict the binary grouping variable (control versus treatment). Low reliability associated with the covariates can adversely impa…
Exploring the Enumeration Accuracy of Cross-Validation Indices in Latent Class Analysis
A crucial issue when estimating mixture models is selecting the model with the correct number of latent classes underlying the data, which is commonly referred to as class enumeration. Although cross-validation methods have been suggested with mixture models to help augment the class enumeration process (Masyn, 2013), they have been seldom used. The purpose of this simulation study was to compare the performance of traditionally used single sampl…
The Impact of Item Parceling on Structural Parameter Invariance in Multi-group Structural Equation Modeling
Item parcels are the indicators of a factor which are created by summing or averaging scores of individual items. Item parceling has been widely applied in structural equation modeling (SEM) but has been less discussed in the multi-group context, especially for structural parameter invariance. The present study investigated the effect of item parceling on parameter bias and invariance tests at the structural level (i.e., latent means and a struct…
Comparison of Three Approaches to Class Enumeration in Growth Mixture Modeling when Time Structures are Variant Across Latent Classes
In conventional approaches to Growth Mixture Modeling (GMM), a trajectory is first estimated using latent growth curve modeling that serves as a baseline trajectory for the GMM. In this approach, time structures are held invariant across latent classes when identifying the number of latent classes. However, this popular way of conducting GMM could undermine a proper estimation, especially under the condition where a distinct trajectory exists for…
The Role of Student Beliefs in Dual-Enrollment Courses
Detecting Latent Classes Through Mediation in Regression Mixture Models
The current study aims to investigate mediation in regression mixture models. There has been little research that has examined the combination of mediation and regression mixture models to determine if there are latent subgroups that vary in their levels of mediation. This investigation aims to address this gap by simulating varying conditions of sample size, number of latent classes, mixing proportions, class intercept separation, direct effects…
Application of Associative Discrete-Time Survival Analysis Using Latent Transition Specification
This article demonstrates an associative latent transition-based model for analyzing the association between two discrete-time survival analysis (DTSA) models. DTSA allows social and behavioral researchers to investigate the qualitative change in event occurrence. Typically, DTSA is applied to a single survival process, where the hazard of an event occurrence is estimated across time. However, when researchers have hypotheses concerning the relat…
Parallel Process Latent Growth Modeling with Multivariate Confounders/Suppressors
A parallel process growth model is often limited to the developments of two main trends due to model complexity. Two major parallel processes are only modeled to examine how the changes in two longitudinal processes might be related without considering other growth models possibly related to the two main processes. However, the exclusion of a third LGM risks introducing bias into key associations while capturing the relations between only two gro…
Investigating Latent Interaction Effects in Multiple-Group Analysis in the Structural Equation Modeling Framework
This study aims to address a gap in the social and behavioral sciences literature concerning interaction effects between latent factors in multiple-group analysis. By comparing two approaches for estimating latent interactions within multiple-group analysis frameworks using simulation studies and empirical data, we assess their relative merits. Our simulation study results demonstrated the superiority of the Latent Moderated Structural Equations …
Model Estimation Approaches for Fully-Latent Principal Stratification with Small Samples
Latent Growth Model with Categorical Indicators: Comparison of the Different Estimators
Development of a Method for Handling Doubly-Censored Data in a Latent Growth Curve Modeling Framework
This study addresses the challenge of doubly-censoring effects in longitudinal data structures, particularly within latent growth curve models (LGCMs). Censoring can severely bias estimates and inferences, distorting the relationships between growth factors and covariates. To combat this issue, this study introduces the Generalized Tobit estimator (GBIT), an advancement of the conventional Tobit model, designed to handle mixed censoring effects i…
Mathematics (18 works) · Statistics (17 works) · Computer Science (14 works) · Econometrics (14 works) · Psychology (12 works) · Advanced Statistical Modeling Techniques (10 works) · Psychometric Methodologies and Testing (10 works) · Statistical Methods and Bayesian Inference (7 works) · Structural equation modeling (7 works) · Advanced Causal Inference Techniques (6 works)