[Athen] FW: SCFC - CAS: Department of Psychology Request

[Burke, Dan]

Anyone have any experience with this Mplus stats application?

Dan


Dan Burke
Assistant Director/Assistive Technology Coordinator

Disability Services for Students
The University of Montana
Emma B. Lommasson Center 154
Missoula, MT 59812

406.243.4424
406.243.5330 FAX

www.umt.edu/disability

From: Seekins, Barb
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:10 PM
To: Burke, Dan
Subject: FW: SCFC - CAS: Department of Psychology Request


Hi,
Do you know anything about MPlus?  Is it accessible?
Thanks.
Barb Seekins
Scholar and Sponsored Student Programs Manager
Foreign Student and Scholar Services
The University of Montana
219 Lommasson
Missoula, Montana 59812
406-243-6183 phone
406-243-6115 fax
seekinsbh at mso.umt.edu


From: Crepeau, Valerie J [mailto:CrepeauVJ at mso.umt.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:09 PM
To: Barbara Seekins; David Firth; Diego Baccino; Erika Noble; Good, Barry; Lee Banville; Lily Oliver; Loey Knapp; Mandi Summers; Vance, Mary Lee; Tim Edwards; Topher Williams
Cc: Spencer, Robert
Subject: FW: SCFC - CAS: Department of Psychology Request

SCFC Members:

Please see the email below for additional information on the Department of Psychology SCFC funds expenditure request for the purchase of MPlus (10 licences).   Please send you vote to me or let me know if you need additional information.

Thanks!

Valerie

Valerie Crepeau
Accounting & Admin Manager
Information Technology
Social Science 126
406-243-6301

From: McNinch, Craig A. [mailto:craig.mcninch at mso.umt.edu]<mailto:[mailto:craig.mcninch at mso.umt.edu]>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 12:01 PM
To: valerie.crepeau at umontana.edu<mailto:valerie.crepeau at umontana.edu>
Subject: SCFC - CAS: Department of Psychology Request

Good morning Valerie,

Below is more information regarding MPlus and its uses within the department.  They are requesting 10 licenses within the $2864 amount On the SCF proposal.  Let me know if you or the committee need additional information.


*         General description of it and what you use it for.



A: Mplus is a statistical software package designed to conduct latent variable modeling similar to that of AMOS, but with wider capabilities. For instance, while AMOS can only handle continuous data, Mplus has the advantage of being able to analyze binary and categorical data in a latent-variable context. The software is also used in psychometric analyses, and is featured in texts on psychometrics, that, if we have access to the software, we could then teach from. Overall, having Mplus would benefit the department in that students could have access to one of the latest cutting-edge statistical programs that is specialized to conduct particular advanced analyses that SPSS (and even SAS) cannot do.





*         Is it used in a lab or classroom? (I know it's for psyx 222, 520, 521, 522)



A: The software would be used both in class and in lab for courses such as Psyx. 522 and Psyx. 524. More than that, the software would be used for students' dissertations, etc., who wish to learn a popular statistical package and reap the benefits of it. Having a couple copies of Mplus would add to our capabilities to conduct higher analyses in these courses, as well as for students to have more options when it comes to data analyses for theses and dissertations. If I mention the software in class, and discuss the code for a particular analysis, I want students to know there is a copy downstairs in the lab that they can try these analyses on. Having "Mplus knowledge" (or at least exposure) on one's CV is a very attractive marketing feature for students who may go on to teach quantitative courses.



*         How many students do you think uses it?



                A: I usually have approx. 5 to 8 students enrolled in Psyx. 522, and another 10 or so enrolled in Psyx. 524. Any or all of these students would have access to it, at least as a means of trying out procedures that are listed in textbooks, etc., Regarding dissertations, I suspect fewer students would use it, but at least we'd have a copy or two available should they venture in that direction. In the structural equation modeling field, there are generally 4 very popular packages: 1) AMOS, 2) EQS, 3) Lisrel, and 4) Mplus. Having AMOS and Mplus "on board" in the department extends students' quantitative options for data analyses, and in particular, the *types* of data analyses that can be performed.

Take care!

-Craig

Craig McNinch
IT Manager
College of Arts & Sciences
The University of Montana

Craig.mcninch at mso.umt.edu<mailto:Craig.mcninch at mso.umt.edu>
(406) 243-4745


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman12.u.washington.edu/pipermail/athen-list/attachments/20111024/b43017cc/attachment.html>