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How does your conceptual framework explicitly guide and constrain your later choices in measurement model specification and structural model analysis?

In my dissertation, I'm moving from the conceptual framework to the empirical analysis phase. I'm concerned about making arbitrary choices in my measurement and structural models. I need to understand how the framework I've built should actively discipline these later statistical decisions to maintain theoretical integrity.

 

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By Rudolph Answered 1 year ago

In my experience, your conceptual framework acts as your non-negotiable blueprint. It explicitly guides your choices by forcing you to ask: "Does this statistical specification represent my theoretical logic?" For instance, if your framework posits that a construct is an underlying cause of its indicators, you are constrained to a reflective measurement model. I have seen students try to "fit" the data better by switching model types post-hoc, which severs the link to their original theory. I would recommend treating your framework as the rulebook; your analysis is the game played by its rules.

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