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A Note on Parameter Estimation for Lazarsfeld's Latent Class Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2025

Anton K. Formann
Anton K. Formann*
Affiliation:
University of Vienna
*
Requests for reprints should be sent. to Dr. Anton K. Formann, Psychologisches Institut der Universität Wien, Liebiggasse 5, A-1010 WIEN, Austria.
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Abstract

As the literature indicates, no method is presently available which takes explicitly into account that the parameters of Lazarsfeld's latent class analysis are defined as probabilities and are therefore restricted to the interval [0, 1]. In the present paper an appropriate transform on the parameters is performed in order to satisfy this constraint, and the estimation of the transformed parameters according to the maximum likelihood principle is outlined. In the sequel, a numerical example is given for which the basis solution and the usual maximum likelihood method failed. The different results are compared and the advantages of the proposed method discussed.

Keywords

latent class analysismaximum likelihood methodparameter transformation
Type
Notes and Comments
Information
Psychometrika , Volume 43 , Issue 1 , March 1978 , pp. 123 - 126
Copyright
Copyright © 1978 The Psychometric Society

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References

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