Discovering Exceptional Development of Commitment in Interdisciplinary Study Programs

Zeitschrift für Psychologie, vol. 231, pp. 53–64

Abstract

Abstract. In psychology and the social sciences, it is often of interest how complex structural relations among variables are moderated by profiles or combinations of persons’ attributes. Some state-of-the-art methods, such as latent class analysis, are well-suited for this purpose. However, they can lead to methodological problems (e.g., convergence issues) or interpretative difficulties (e.g., due to nondistinctive profiles). For these cases, two other approaches combining structural equation modeling with machine learning have been proposed, namely structural equation model (SEM) trees and SubgroupSEM. These approaches allow for exploration of how parameters of a SEM differ depending on combinations of a person's attributes. This can be useful for generating hypotheses for future research. In this paper, we provide an empirical illustration of SubgroupSEM using an example from research on the development of commitment in interdisciplinary study programs in German higher education and identify combinations of vocational interests related to exceptional development.

Authors 5

1. Christoph Kiefer

   Bielefeld University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Germany

2. Anna M. Claus Aachen Institute of Psychology

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

3. Alexander J. Jung

   University of Tübingen

   Affiliation as printed

   Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology, University of Tübingen, Germany

4. Bettina S. Wiese Aachen Institute of Psychology

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Germany

5. Axel Mayer

   Bielefeld University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Germany