“This is a good core textbook for an advanced course in SEM. It can even be used as a text for an introductory SEM course—as I, myself, have done with the first edition—with a bit of supplementary material. What is special about this book is the extensive use of examples, the end-of-chapter summaries (including definitions), and the detailed discussion of many problems, issues, and controversies—such as whether parceling makes sense, or how to deal with convergence issues or with longitudinal data attrition—not treated extensively in other texts.”

—Douglas Baer, PhD, Department of Sociology (Emeritus), University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada


“As with the first edition, Little has created not just a wonderful academic resource, but a longitudinal research companion. The second edition features incredibly lucid explanations, useful modeling tips, an extremely accessible style, and cutting-edge updated and new content. Graduate students as well as applied researchers will feel a lot more confident planning for, wading into, and making sense of the intricacies of their longitudinal and developmental phenomena.”

—Gregory R. Hancock, PhD, Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park


“In its second edition, this remains the definitive text on longitudinal SEM. The biggest strength of all the chapters is that they follow a clear organization and flow. Basic issues are presented first, followed by more advanced issues, and, finally, an example or two of the topic, with real data.”

—Kristin D. Mickelson, PhD, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arizona State University


“Longitudinal SEM is tricky, even for people who have experience with factor analysis and other related models. I recommend the second edition of this book to applied researchers looking for a nontechnical overview. It will help readers build their intuitive understanding of the models, which can provide a foundation for future study.”

—Ed Merkle, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri–Columbia


“The equation boxes are a really nice touch that make it easier for readers to decipher the content in the equations. I am used to seeing notation detailed in paragraph-style text under an equation, but I am sold—this is a much clearer presentation style.”

—Sarah Depaoli, PhD, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced