Sarfaraz Serang
Biographic Data
| ID | 763599 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sarfaraz Serang |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sarfaraz |
| FAMILY NAME | Serang |
| SIGNATURE | SERANG S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Utah State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7985-4951 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2017 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Accommodating Continuous Time Metrics Within the Discrete-Time Latent Change Score Model Using Definition Variables
Longitudinal models typically represent change as a function of a single time metric. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted researchers to consider whether changes are a function of phases of the pandemic while simultaneously accommodating age. This paper proposes an extension of the discrete-time latent change score modeling framework to model wave-to-wave changes while accounting for time more precisely by including continuous time metrics vi…
Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Financial Hardships and Adolescents’ Adjustment: A Longitudinal Family Stress Approach
Sibling disclosure and adolescents’ coping from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study
The extraordinary disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique context to investigate the links between family communication and adolescent adjustment. Given that widespread stay-at-home orders increased time spent in the family setting, the present study examined reciprocal links between older and younger adolescent siblings' disclosure toward each other and concurrent and prospective links between those disclosures and the…
Does sibling differentiation promote relational harmony or discord? Evidence from a longitudinal dyadic study
Sibling differentiation (or deidentification) is theoretically posited as a mechanism that reduces competition and comparison between siblings and thus fosters sibling harmony (i.e., more positivity and less negativity). Empirical research, however, reveals inconsistent findings regarding the links between sibling differentiation and youths' sibling relationship qualities. The present study utilized a longitudinal dyadic design to investigate whe…
Direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling intimacy on adolescents' volunteering via social responsibility values: A longitudinal study
This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling relational intimacy on adolescents' volunteering behaviors via their social responsibility values. Participants included two adolescents (50% female; M age = 1 year) and one parent (85% female; M age = 45 years) from 682 families ( N = 2046) from an ongoing longitudinal study. Adolescents self-reported their intimacy with mothers and siblings (Time 1), social responsi…
Explorations of Individual Change Processes and Their Determinants: A Novel Approach and Remaining Challenges
Over the past 40 years there have been great advances in the analysis of individual change and the analyses of between-person differences in change. While conditional growth models are the dominant approach, exploratory models, such as growth mixture models and structural equation modeling trees, allow for greater flexibility in the modeling of between-person differences in change. We continue to push for greater flexibility in the modeling of in…
A Monte Carlo Test for Longitudinal Structural Equation Models in Small Samples
Model fit criteria for structural equation models rely on asymptotic behavior. As such, corrections are applied when fitting models to small samples (N ≤ 100). However, these corrections are based on heuristics designed for measurement models and thus are not necessarily appropriate for longitudinal models. Although extensions have been proposed for latent growth curve models, this study demonstrates that they do not perform well for latent chang…
M plus Trees: Structural Equation Model Trees Using M plus
Structural equation model trees (SEM Trees) allow for the construction of decision trees with structural equation models fit in each of the nodes. Based on covariate information, SEM Trees can be used to create distinct subgroups containing individuals with similar parameter estimates. Currently, the structural equation modeling component of SEM Trees is implemented in the R packages OpenMx and lavaan. We extend SEM Trees so that the models can b…
Changes in family chaos and family relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from a longitudinal study
The purpose of this article was to explore how family chaos, parenting processes, parent-child relationship qualities, and sibling relationship qualities changed before versus the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included one parent and two adolescent-aged children from 682 families (2,046 participants). Parents and youth participating in an ongoing longitudinal study in five Midwestern states in the United States completed an …
Exploratory Mediation Analysis of Dichotomous Outcomes via Regularization
Exploratory mediation analysis via regularization, or XMed, is a recently developed technique that allows one to identify potential mediators of a process of interest. However, as currently implemented, it can only be applied to continuous outcomes. We extend this method to allow application to dichotomous outcomes, including both mediators and dependent variables. Simulation results show that XMed can achieve the same sensitivity as more convent…
Recursive Partitioning with Nonlinear Models of Change
In this article, we introduce nonlinear longitudinal recursive partitioning (nLRP) and the R package longRpart2 to carry out the analysis. This method implements recursive partitioning (also known as decision trees) in order to split data based on individual- (i.e., cluster) level covariates with the goal of predicting differences in nonlinear longitudinal trajectories. At each node, a user-specified linear or nonlinear mixed-effects model is est…
Hypothesis Testing, p Values, Confidence Intervals, Measures of Effect Size, and Bayesian Methods in Light of Modern Robust Techniques
The article provides perspectives on p values, null hypothesis testing, and alternative techniques in light of modern robust statistical methods. Null hypothesis testing and p values can provide useful information provided they are interpreted in a sound manner, which includes taking into account insights and advances that have occurred during the past 50 years. There are, of course, limitations to what null hypothesis testing and p values reveal…
Changes in family chaos and family relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from a longitudinal study
The purpose of this article was to explore how family chaos, parenting processes, parent-child relationship qualities, and sibling relationship qualities changed before versus the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included one parent and two adolescent-aged children from 682 families (2,046 participants). Parents and youth participating in an ongoing longitudinal study in five Midwestern states in the United States completed an …
Does sibling differentiation promote relational harmony or discord? Evidence from a longitudinal dyadic study
Sibling differentiation (or deidentification) is theoretically posited as a mechanism that reduces competition and comparison between siblings and thus fosters sibling harmony (i.e., more positivity and less negativity). Empirical research, however, reveals inconsistent findings regarding the links between sibling differentiation and youths' sibling relationship qualities. The present study utilized a longitudinal dyadic design to investigate whe…
Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Financial Hardships and Adolescents’ Adjustment: A Longitudinal Family Stress Approach
Sibling disclosure and adolescents’ coping from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study
The extraordinary disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique context to investigate the links between family communication and adolescent adjustment. Given that widespread stay-at-home orders increased time spent in the family setting, the present study examined reciprocal links between older and younger adolescent siblings' disclosure toward each other and concurrent and prospective links between those disclosures and the…
Direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling intimacy on adolescents' volunteering via social responsibility values: A longitudinal study
This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling relational intimacy on adolescents' volunteering behaviors via their social responsibility values. Participants included two adolescents (50% female; M age = 1 year) and one parent (85% female; M age = 45 years) from 682 families ( N = 2046) from an ongoing longitudinal study. Adolescents self-reported their intimacy with mothers and siblings (Time 1), social responsi…
Hypothesis Testing, p Values, Confidence Intervals, Measures of Effect Size, and Bayesian Methods in Light of Modern Robust Techniques
The article provides perspectives on p values, null hypothesis testing, and alternative techniques in light of modern robust statistical methods. Null hypothesis testing and p values can provide useful information provided they are interpreted in a sound manner, which includes taking into account insights and advances that have occurred during the past 50 years. There are, of course, limitations to what null hypothesis testing and p values reveal…
Recursive Partitioning with Nonlinear Models of Change
In this article, we introduce nonlinear longitudinal recursive partitioning (nLRP) and the R package longRpart2 to carry out the analysis. This method implements recursive partitioning (also known as decision trees) in order to split data based on individual- (i.e., cluster) level covariates with the goal of predicting differences in nonlinear longitudinal trajectories. At each node, a user-specified linear or nonlinear mixed-effects model is est…
Exploratory Mediation Analysis of Dichotomous Outcomes via Regularization
Exploratory mediation analysis via regularization, or XMed, is a recently developed technique that allows one to identify potential mediators of a process of interest. However, as currently implemented, it can only be applied to continuous outcomes. We extend this method to allow application to dichotomous outcomes, including both mediators and dependent variables. Simulation results show that XMed can achieve the same sensitivity as more convent…
A Monte Carlo Test for Longitudinal Structural Equation Models in Small Samples
Model fit criteria for structural equation models rely on asymptotic behavior. As such, corrections are applied when fitting models to small samples (N ≤ 100). However, these corrections are based on heuristics designed for measurement models and thus are not necessarily appropriate for longitudinal models. Although extensions have been proposed for latent growth curve models, this study demonstrates that they do not perform well for latent chang…
M plus Trees: Structural Equation Model Trees Using M plus
Structural equation model trees (SEM Trees) allow for the construction of decision trees with structural equation models fit in each of the nodes. Based on covariate information, SEM Trees can be used to create distinct subgroups containing individuals with similar parameter estimates. Currently, the structural equation modeling component of SEM Trees is implemented in the R packages OpenMx and lavaan. We extend SEM Trees so that the models can b…
Changes in family chaos and family relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic: Evidence from a longitudinal study
The purpose of this article was to explore how family chaos, parenting processes, parent-child relationship qualities, and sibling relationship qualities changed before versus the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included one parent and two adolescent-aged children from 682 families (2,046 participants). Parents and youth participating in an ongoing longitudinal study in five Midwestern states in the United States completed an …
Explorations of Individual Change Processes and Their Determinants: A Novel Approach and Remaining Challenges
Over the past 40 years there have been great advances in the analysis of individual change and the analyses of between-person differences in change. While conditional growth models are the dominant approach, exploratory models, such as growth mixture models and structural equation modeling trees, allow for greater flexibility in the modeling of between-person differences in change. We continue to push for greater flexibility in the modeling of in…
Direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling intimacy on adolescents' volunteering via social responsibility values: A longitudinal study
This study investigates the direct and indirect effects of maternal and sibling relational intimacy on adolescents' volunteering behaviors via their social responsibility values. Participants included two adolescents (50% female; M age = 1 year) and one parent (85% female; M age = 45 years) from 682 families ( N = 2046) from an ongoing longitudinal study. Adolescents self-reported their intimacy with mothers and siblings (Time 1), social responsi…
Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Financial Hardships and Adolescents’ Adjustment: A Longitudinal Family Stress Approach
Sibling disclosure and adolescents’ coping from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study
The extraordinary disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic created a unique context to investigate the links between family communication and adolescent adjustment. Given that widespread stay-at-home orders increased time spent in the family setting, the present study examined reciprocal links between older and younger adolescent siblings' disclosure toward each other and concurrent and prospective links between those disclosures and the…
Does sibling differentiation promote relational harmony or discord? Evidence from a longitudinal dyadic study
Sibling differentiation (or deidentification) is theoretically posited as a mechanism that reduces competition and comparison between siblings and thus fosters sibling harmony (i.e., more positivity and less negativity). Empirical research, however, reveals inconsistent findings regarding the links between sibling differentiation and youths' sibling relationship qualities. The present study utilized a longitudinal dyadic design to investigate whe…
Accommodating Continuous Time Metrics Within the Discrete-Time Latent Change Score Model Using Definition Variables
Longitudinal models typically represent change as a function of a single time metric. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted researchers to consider whether changes are a function of phases of the pandemic while simultaneously accommodating age. This paper proposes an extension of the discrete-time latent change score modeling framework to model wave-to-wave changes while accounting for time more precisely by including continuous time metrics vi…
Computer Science (7 works) · Mathematics (7 works) · Econometrics (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Statistics (6 works) · Developmental psychology (5 works) · Longitudinal study (5 works) · Structural equation modeling (5 works) · Mental Health Research Topics (4 works) · Sibling (4 works)