Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Latent variable growth within behavior genetic models

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to introduce one kind of latent-variable structural-equation model for multivariate longitudinal data which includes behavioral genetic components. A generic structural-equation model termedRAM (McArdle, J. J. and McDonald, R. P. (1984).Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol.,37:239–251.) is used to define the univariate twin design, including both covariances and means. This model is extended to multivariate form using a latent-variable growth-curve model recently presented by W. Meredith and J. Tisak [(1984). “Tuckerizing” curves. Psychometric Society Annual Meetings]. The model presented herein further permits hypothesis testing of various biometric models of the sources of these individual differences in latent growth. Aspects of this model are illustrated using the LISREL algorithm [Jöreskog, K. G. and Sörbom, D. (1979).Advances in Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Models, Abt Books, Cambridge, Mass.] and longitudinal twin data on early childhood abilities [Wilson, R. S. (1983).Child Dev. 54:298–316].

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker, L. A., DeFries, J. C., and Fulker, D. W. (1983). Longitudinal stability of cognitive ability in the Colorado Adoption Project.Child Dev. 54:290–297.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bock, R. D., Wainer, H., Petersen, A. C., Thissen, D., Murray, J., and Roche, A. (1973). A parameterization for individual growth curves.Hum. Biol. 45:63–68.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cantor, R. M., Nance, W. E., Eaves, L. J., Winter, P. M., and Blanchard, M. M. (1983). Analysis of the covariance structure of digital ridge counts in the offspring of monozygotic twins.Genetics 103:495–512.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cattell, R. B. (1966).Handbook of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, Rand McNally, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cattell, R. B. (1982).The Inheritance of Personality and Ability: Research Methods and Findings, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain, G. (1982). Are brothers as good as twins? In Taubman, P. (ed.),Kinometrics: Determinants of Socioeconomic Success Within and Between Families, North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Christian, J. C. (1979). Testing twin means and estimating genetic variance.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 28:35–40.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cudeck, R., and Browne, M. W. (1983). Cross-validation of covariance structure.Multivar. Behav. Res. 18:147–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C. (1979). Comment on Fulker's paper. In Royce, J. R., and Mos, L. P. (eds.).Theoretical Advances in Behavior Genetics, Sijthoff & Noordhoff Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands, pp. 381–383.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C., and Fulker, D. W. (1986). Multivariate behavioral genetics and development: An overview.Behav. Genet. 16:1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L. J. (1978). Twins as a basis for the causal analysis of human personality. In Nance, W. E. (ed.),Twin Research: Psychology and Methodology, Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 151–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L. J., Last, K. A., Young, P. A., and Martin, N. G. (1978). Model-fitting approaches to the analysis of human behavior.Heredity 41:249–320.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L. J., Long, J., and Heath, A. C. (1986). A theory of developmental change in quantitative phenotypes applied to cognitive development.Behav. Genet. 16:143–162.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fulker, D. W. (1978). Multivariate extensions of a biometrical model of twin data. In Nance, W. E., (ed.),Twin Research: Psychology and Methology, Alan R. Liss, New York, pp. 217–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fulker, D. W. (1979). Some implications of biometrical genetical analysis for psychological research. In Royce, J. R., and Mos, L. P. (eds.),Theoretical Advances in Behavior Genetics, Sijthoff & Noordhoff, Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands, pp. 337–380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberger, A. S. (1977). Twin methods: A skeptical view. In Taubman, P. (ed.),Kinometrics: Determinants of Socioeconomic Success Within and Between Families, North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, H. H. (1983). Genetic influences on personality from infancy to adulthood.Child Dev. 54: 331–355.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, H. H., (1984). Continuity of personality: A genetic perspective. In Emde, R. N., and Harmon, R. J. (eds.),Continuities and Discontinuities in Development. Plenum, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henderson, N. D. (1982). Human behavior genetics.Annu. Rev. Psychol. 33:403–440.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Horn, J. L., and Little, K. B. (1966). Methods for isolating change and invariance in patterns of behaviour.Multivar. Behav. Res. 1:219–229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, J. L., and McArdle, J. J. (1980). Perspectives on mathematical/statistical model building (MASMOB) in research on aging. In Poon, L. W. (ed.),Aging in the 1980's: Selected Contemporary Issues in the Psychology of Aging, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., pp. 503–541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, J. L., McArdle, J. J., and Goldsmith, H. H. (1985). Biometric modeling of Gf-Gc abilities theory (submitted for publication).

  • James, L. R., Mulaik, S. A., and Brett, J. M. (1982).Causal Analysis: Assumptions, Models, and Data, Sage, Beverly Hills, Calif.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaspars, J. M. F., and deLeeuw, J. A. (1980). Genetic-environment covariation in human behaviour genetics. In van der Kamp, L. J. Th., Langerak, W. F., and de Gruijter, D. N. M. (eds.),Psychometrics for Educational Debates, Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., and Sörbom, D. (1979).Advances in Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Models, Abt Books. Cambridge, Mass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., and Sörbom, D. (1981).LISREL V User's Guide: Analysis of Linear Structural Relationships by the Method of Maximum Likelihood, International Educational Services, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loehlin, J. C. (1979). Combining data from different groups in human behavior genetics. In Royce, J. R., and Mos, L. P. (eds.),Theoretical Advances in Behavior Genetics, Sijthoff & Noordhoff, Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands, pp. 303–334.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, N. G., and Eaves, L. J. (1977). The genetical analysis of covariance structure.Heredity 138:79–95.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, N. G., Eaves, L. J., and Fulker, D. W. (1979). The genetical relationship of impulsiveness and sensation seeking to Eysenck's personality dimensions.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 28:197–210.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matheny, A. P. (1983). A longitudinal twin study of stability of components from Bayley's Infant Behavior Record.Child Dev. 54:356–360.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J. (1980). Causal modeling applied to psychonomic systems simulation.Behav. Res. Meth. Instrument. 12:193–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J. (1986a). Dynamic and structural equation modeling with repeated measures data. In Nesselroade, J. R., and Cattell, R. B. (eds.),Handbook of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, Vol. II, Plenum, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J. (1986b). Latent variable growth within developmental structural equation models.Child Dev. (in press).

  • McArdle, J. J., and Goldsmith, H. H. (1984). Structural equation modeling applied to the twin design: Comparative multivariate models of the WAIS.Behav. Genet. 14:609 (abstr.).

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J., and Goldsmith, H. H. (1985). Latent variable extensions to the biometric twin model (submitted for publication).

  • McArdle, J. J., and Horn, J. L. (1985). A simple graphic model for moment structures (submitted for publication).

  • McArdle, J. J., and McDonald, R. P. (1984). Some algebraic properties of the reticular action model for moment structures.Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol. 37:234–251.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J., Connell, J. P., and Goldsmith, H. H. (1980a): Structural modeling of stability and genetic influence, Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver, Denver.

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J., Connell, J. P., and Goldsmith, H. H. (1980b). Structural modeling of stability and genetic influence: Some results from a longitudinal study of behavioral style.Behav. Genet. 10:487 (abstr.).

    Google Scholar 

  • McArdle, J. J., Goldsmith, H. H., and Horn, J. L. (1981). Genetic structural equation models of fluid and crystallized intelligence.Behav. Genet. 11:607 (abstr.).

    Google Scholar 

  • McCall, R. B. (1981). Nature-nurture and the two realms of development: A proposed integration with respect to mental development.Child Dev. 52:1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • McDonald, R. P. (1978). A simple and comprehensive model for the analysis of covariance structures.Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol. 31:59–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGue, M., Wette, R., and Rao, D. C. (1984). Evaluation of path analysis through computer simulation: Effect of incorrectly assuming independent distribution of familian correlations.Genet. Epidemiol. 1:255–269.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Meredith, W., and Tisak, J. (1984). “Tuckerizing” curves. Paper presented at the Psychometric Society Annual Meetings, Santa Barbara, Calif.

  • Plomin, R., and DeFries, J. C. (1980). Genetics and intelligence: Recent data.Intelligence 4:15–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, C. R. (1958). Some statistical methods for the comparison of growth curves.Biometrics 14:1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogosa, D., Brandt, D., and Zimowski, M. (1982). A growth curve approach to the measurement of change.Psychol. Bull. 90:726–748.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spearman, C. (1904). General intelligence objectively determined and measured.Am. J. Psychol. 15:201–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taubman, P. (1978). Determinants of socioeconomic success: Regression and latent variable analysis in samples of twins. In Nance, W. E. (ed.),Twin Research: Psychology and Methodology, Alan R. Liss, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, L. R. (1958). Determination of parameters of a functional relation by factor analysis.Psychometrika 23:19–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, S. G. (1962). The Hereditary Abilities Study: Hereditary components in a psychological test battery.Am. J. Hum. Genet. 14:220–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, S. G. (1966). Contributions of twin research to psychology.Psychol. Bull. 66:327–352.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, S. G. (1967). Hereditary factors in normal personality traits (as measured by inventories). In Wortis, J. (ed.),Recent Advances in Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 9, Plenum, New York, pp. 65–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, S. G. (ed.) (1968).Progress in Human Behavior Genetics, Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandenberg, S. G., and Falkner, F. (1965). Hereditary factors in human growth.Hum. Biol. 37:357–365.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Werts, C. E., Linn, R. L., and Jöreskog, K. G. (1977). A simplex model for analyzing academic growth.Educ. Psychol. Measure. 37:745–755.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. S. (1979). Analysis of longitudinal twin data: Basic model and applications to physical growth measures.Acta Genet. Med. Gemellol. 28:93–105.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. S. (1983). The Louisville Twin Study: Developmental synchronies in behavior.Child Dev. 54:298–316.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. S. (1986). Continuity and change in cognitive ability profile.Behav. Genet. 16:45–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, S. (1921). Correlation and causation.J. Agr. Res 20:557–585.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zonderman, A. B. (1986). Twins, families, and the psychology of individual differences: The legacy of Steven G. Vandenberg.Behav. Genet. 16:11–24.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22901

    J. J. McArdle

Authors
  1. J. J. McArdle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

This research was funded by National Institute on Aging Grant AG04704.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McArdle, J.J. Latent variable growth within behavior genetic models. Behav Genet 16, 163–200 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065485

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065485

Key Words

Search

Navigation