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Finding Latent Groups In Observed Data: A Primer On Latent Profile Analysis In Mplus For Applied Researchers, Sarah L. Ferguson, E. Whitney G. Moore, Darrell M. Hull

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The present guide provides a practical guide to conducting latent profile analysis (LPA) in the Mplus software system. This guide is intended for researchers familiar with some latent variable modeling but not LPA specifically. A general procedure for conducting LPA is provided in six steps: (a) data inspection, (b) iterative evaluation of models, (c) model fit and interpretability, (d) investigation of patterns of profiles in a retained model, (e) covariate analysis, and (f) presentation of results. A worked example is provided with syntax and results to exemplify the steps.