The current volume, Advances in Latent Variable Mixture Models, contains
chapters by all of the speakers who participated in the 2006 CILVR
conference, providing not just a snapshot of the event, but more
importantly chronicling the state of the art in latent variable mixture
model research. The volume starts with an overview chapter by the CILVR
conference keynote speaker, Bengt Muthén, offering a "lay of the land"
for latent variable mixture models before the volume moves to more
specific constellations of topics. Part I, Multilevel and Longitudinal
Systems, deals with mixtures for data that are hierarchical in nature
either due to the data's sampling structure or to the repetition of
measures (of varied types) over time. Part II, Models for Assessment and
Diagnosis, addresses scenarios for making judgments about individuals'
state of knowledge or development, and about the instruments used for
making such judgments. Finally, Part III, Challenges in Model
Evaluation, focuses on some of the methodological issues associated with
the selection of models most accurately representing the processes and
populations under investigation. It should be stated that this volume is
not intended to be a first exposure to latent variable methods. Readers
lacking such foundational knowledge are encouraged to consult primary
and/or secondary didactic resources in order to get the most from the
chapters in this volume. Once armed with that basic understanding of
latent variable methods, we believe readers will find this volume
incredibly exciting.
