In Psychology: What is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)?
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Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a statistical technique for building and testing statistical model, which are often causal models. It is a hybrid technique that encompasses aspects of confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis and regression, which can be seen as special cases of SEM.\n\nSEM encourages confirmatory, rather than exploratory, modelling; thus, it is suited to theory testing, rather than theory development. It usually starts with a hypothesis, represents it as a model, operationalises the constructs of interest with a measurement instrument and tests the model. With an accepted theory or otherwise confirmed model, one can also use SEM inductively by specifying a model and using data to estimate the values of free parameters. Often the initial hypothesis requires adjustment in light of model evidence, but SEM is rarely used purely for exploration.\n\nAmong its strengths is the ability to model constructs as latent variables — variables which are not measured directly, but are estimated in the model from measured variables which are assumed to 'tap into' the latent variables. This allows the modeller to explicitly capture unreliability of measurement in the model, in theory allowing the structural relations between latent variables to be accurately modelled.\n\nSEM is an extension of the general linear model that simultaneously estimates relationships between multiple independent, dependent and latent variables.\n\nAlternatives to SEM for exploratory modeling include TETRAD and partial least squares.
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Organizational Behavior is the study and application of knowledge about how people, individuals, and groups act in organizations. It does this by taking a system approach. That is, it interprets people-organization relationships in terms of the whole person, whole group, whole organization, and whole social system. Its purpose is to build better relationships by achieving human objectives, organizational objectives, and social objectives. \nAs you can see from the definition above, organizational behavior encompasses a wide range of topics, such as human behavior, change, leadership, teams, etc. Since these many of these topics are discussed in other sections of this leadership guide, this section will not go into topics previously discussed. \n\n  Elements of Organizational Behavior:\n \nThe organization's base rests on management's philosophy, values, vision and goals. This in turn drives the organizational culture which is composed of the formal organization, informal organization, and the social environment. The culture determines the type of leadership, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The workers perceive this as the quality of work life which directs their degree of motivation. The final outcome are performance, individual satisfaction, and personal growth and development. All these elements combine to build the model or framework that the organization operates from. \n\n Models of Organizational Behavior \nThere are four major models or frameworks that organizations operate out of:  Autocratic - The basis of this model is power with a managerial orientation of authority. The employees in turn are oriented towards obedience and dependence on the boss. The employee need that is met is subsistence. The performance result is minimal. \n Custodial - The basis of this model is economic resources with a managerial orientation of money. The employees in turn are oriented towards security and benefits and dependence on the organization. The employee need that is met is security. The performance result is passive cooperation. \n Supportive - The basis of this model is leadership with a managerial orientation of support. The employees in turn are oriented towards job performance and participation. The employee need that is met is status and recognition. The performance result is awakened drives. \n Collegial - The basis of this model is partnership with a managerial orientation of teamwork. The employees in turn are oriented towards responsible behavior and self-discipline. The employee need that is met is self-actualization. The performance result is moderate enthusiasm.\n \nAlthough there are four separate models, almost no organization operates exclusively in one. There will usually be a predominate one, with one or more areas over-lapping in the other models. \nThe first model, autocratic, had its roots in the industrial revolution. The managers of this type of organization operate out of McGregor's Theory X. The next three models begin to build on McGregor's Theory Y. They have each evolved over a period of time and there is no one "best" model. The collegial model should not be thought as the last or best model, but the beginning of a new model or paradigm.\n\n  Social Systems, Culture, and Individualization:\n \nA social system is a complex set of human relationships interacting in many ways. Within an organization, the social system includes all the people in it and their relationships to each other and to the outside world. The behavior of one member can have an impact, either directly or indirectly, on the behavior of others. Also, the social system does not have boundaries...it exchanges goods, ideas, culture, etc. with the environment around it. \nCulture is the conventional behavior of a society that encompasses beliefs, customs, knowledge, and practices. It influences human behavior, even though it seldom enters into their conscious thought. People depend on cultur
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self-motivation\nrespect for the feelings of others
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Wonderful question!!!\nBy definition, a problem is any stimulus, question, task, phenomenon, or discrepancy, the explanation for\nwhich is not immediately known. Thus, we are interested in focusing on student performance under those\nchallenging conditions that demand strategic reasoning, insightfulness, perseverance, creativity, and\ncraftsmanship to resolve a complex problem. Not only are we interested in how many answers students\nknow, but also in knowing how to behave when they DON'T know. Habits of Mind are performed in response\nto those questions and problems the answers to which are NOT immediately known. We are interested in\nobserving how students produce knowledge rather than how they merely reproduce knowledge. The critical\nattribute of intelligent human beings is not only having information, but also knowing how to act on it.\nA "Habit of Mind” means having a disposition toward behaving intelligently when confronted with problems,\nthe answers to which are not immediately known. When humans experience dichotomies, are confused by\ndilemmas, or come face to face with uncertainties--our most effective actions require drawing forth certain\npatterns of intellectual behavior. When we draw upon these intellectual resources, the results that are\nproduced through are more powerful, of higher quality and greater significance than if we fail to employ those\npatterns of intellectual behaviors.\nEmploying "Habits of Mind" requires a composite of many skills, attitudes cues, past experiences and\nproclivities. It means that we value one pattern of thinking over another and therefore it implies choice\nmaking about which pattern should be employed at this time. It includes sensitivity to the contextual cues\nin a situation which signal this as an appropriate time and circumstance in which the employment of this\npattern would be useful. It requires a level of skillfulness to employ and carry through the behaviors\neffectively over time. It suggests that as a result of each experience in which these behaviors were\nemployed, the effects of their use are reflected upon, evaluated, modified and carried forth to future\napplications\nHABITS OF MIND ATTEND TO: .\n·  Value: Choosing to employ a pattern of intellectual behaviors rather than other, less\nproductive patterns.\n·  Inclination: Feeling the tendency toward employing a pattern of intellectual behaviors.\n·  Sensitivity: Perceiving opportunities for, and appropriateness of employing the pattern of\nbehavior.\n·  Capability: Possessing the basic skills and capacities to carry through with the behaviors.\n·  Commitment: Constantly striving to reflect on and improve performance of the pattern of\nintellectual behavior.
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Psychology: A Consise Introduction, by Richard A. Griggs.\n\nI used this text book in my Psychology class at my college this past year and I found it very clear and informative. It covers all of the basics and presents examples using actual experiments. There are also very colorful diagrams which make things easier to see. It breaks down info into related sections which also makes the information very easy to absorb. The author is an excellent and intelligent writer. I highly recommend this text book.
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Here are sources on how to deal with Definition of Terms\n\nDefinitions And Terminology:\n\n   1. Each technical term used in a dissertation must be defined either by a reference to a previously published definition (for standard terms with their usual meaning) or by a precise, unambiguous definition that appears before the term is used (for a new term or a standard term used in an unusual way).\n\n   2. Each term should be used in one and only one way throughout the dissertation.\n\n   3. The easiest way to avoid a long series of definitions is to include a statement: ``the terminology used throughout this document follows that given in [CITATION].'' Then, only define exceptions.\n\n   4. The introductory chapter can give the intuition (i.e., informal definitions) of terms provided they are defined more precisely later. \n\n\n    1. What is the term to be defined?\n\n    2. Who is the intended audience for the writing? Is this a general audience for which terms must be broken down in laymen's terms or is it a specific/specialized audience that will know technical terms and do not require further definition?\n\n    3. What is the purpose for the intended definition?\n\n    4. What is the sentence definition of this term?(Term, Class, and Distinguishing Characteristics)\n\n              # The Term is the word(s) to be defined.\n              # The Class is the group or category of similar terms in which the term to be defined is to be placed.\n              # The Characteristics are the essential qualities that set the term apart from all other terms of the same class.\n\n5. What other pattern(s) of organization will you employ to complete an extended definition?  See the list below:\n \nExplanation of a Process                Definition (further) Description                             Comparison/Contrast\nClassification                          Cause/Effect\nNarrative (Anecdotal Illustration)
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Type the words "electronic dissertation" and "contingency theory" in your search engine. Also go libraries and bookstores and ask the clerks/librarians to help you.
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Research is the search for and retrieval of existing, discovery or creation of new information or knowledge for a specific purpose. Research has many categories, from medical research to literary research. Marketing research (also called consumer research) is a form of business research. It is a form of applied sociology which concentrates on understanding the behaviours, whims and preferences, of consumers in a market-based economy. The field of marketing research as a statistical science was pioneered by Arthur Nielsen with the founding of the ACNielsen Company in 1923.
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Try the psychological approach called transactional analysis, the parent adult child model by Eric Berne, it really is effective!!!! Psychology is an amazing tool to help with human behaviour, relationships and communication! Start with a simple book to introduce you to psychology, then progress to others. You will be glad that you did.\nI wish you all the best! :o)\nI am a psychology graduate.
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Take the broad look at psychology.  Human factors engineering can improve efficiency but that is rather obscure for most psychologists.  Training in body language would be great for sales people.  Motivations -- rewards and punishments -- would be a good topic.
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alright, finally a question i can answer, ok first of all u need some bivariate data (meaning data in the first two lists). exponential regression is going to find the equation of the line that best fits the data. on my calc there is linear regression (straight line), quadratic regression (parabola looking thing), cubic regression (cubic looking thing), quartic regression (weird looking parabola), and ooo i see what ur talking about. hmm i think its like finding an equation of the line then looks like an exponential equation. and example of this is graphing y=2^x. try that and u'll see what i mean
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This looks ok:\n\nhttp://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/workshops/stats_wrk.html\n\nor else just keep google-ing psychology+statistics.\n\nGood luck :-)
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Holism. The Gestalt school of psychology demonstrated that when you take a reductionistic approach to understanding behaviour, for example by reducing everything to neural signals, you miss out on something fundamental because "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts". By understanding humans or stimuli as a whole (i.e. holism), we can potentially better understand psychology (according to this school)
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http://www.psych.umn.edu/psylabs/vpr/msqinf.htm
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Econometrics\nPlease click the above link to know in detail.
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Quantitative methodologies... statistical analysis?   How many pages allowed on here... there are books and books about it... try reading literature on the above... infinite (well almost!) sources available on line, at the library and in book shops
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I did not take this specific course in college however I have studied it extensively since I have been practicing. I honestly believe it supplies more answers than many of the theorist were able to provide.  It of course is used in conjunction with theories in practice but there is honestly an area you miss out if you don't cover it.  Try reading Molecules of Emotion, I can't think of the author, she writes in a way that is very down to earth and yet really explores the impact of emotion on neurochemistry.  From their it is easier to expand into the concepts of behavior.