TR: Latent Class Analysis

De : Pousset [mailto:maud.pousset w noos.fr]
Envoyi : mardi 4 juillet 2006 18:38
@ : 'r-help w stat.math.ethz.ch'
Objet : Latent Class Analysis



Hello everybody,



I am working on latent class analysis and have already used the R
function
+ lca ; (in the e1071 package). I ve got interesting results but I cant
simply find out the methodology used by this routine :

1) What kind of model is behind the routine (mixture model? If so, can you
choose among different kind of distributions such as normal, Poisson,
binomial)

2) What kind of algorithm is used (hierarchical methods? Relocation
methods?)

3) Which criterion allows determining the best model?

In addition, I wonder if it is possible, with R software, to determine the
best number of class or do one have to fix it a priori.

If one can help, thanks a lot,



Maud

INSERM U669, Cochin Hospital, Paris