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Check all indirect paths in a model and return them as a list of arguments of x, y, and m, to be used by indirect_effect().

Usage

all_indirect_paths(
  fit = NULL,
  exclude = NULL,
  x = NULL,
  y = NULL,
  group = NULL
)

all_paths_to_df(all_paths)

Arguments

fit

A fit object. Either the output of lavaan::lavaan() or its wrapper such as lavaan::sem(), or a list of the output of lm() or the output of lm2list().

exclude

A character vector of variables to be excluded in the search, such as control variables.

x

A character vector of variables that will be included as the x variables. If supplied, only paths that start from these variables will be included in the search. If NULL, the default, then all variables that are one of the predictors in at least one regression equation will be included in the search.

y

A character vector of variables that will be included as the y variables. If supplied, only paths that start from these variables will be included in the search. If NULL, the default, then all variables that are the outcome variables in at least one regression equation will be included in the search.

group

Either the group number as appeared in the summary() or lavaan::parameterEstimates() output of a lavaan::lavaan object, or the group label as used in the lavaan::lavaan object. Used only when the number of groups is greater than one. Default is NULL. If not specified by the model has more than one group, than paths that appears in at least one group will be included in the output.

all_paths

An all_paths-class object. For example, the output of all_indirect_paths().

Value

all_indirect_paths() returns a list of the class all_paths. Each argument is a list of three character vectors, x, the name of the predictor that starts a path, y, the name of the outcome that ends a path, and m, a character vector of one or more names of the mediators, from x to y. This class has a print method.

all_paths_to_df() returns a data frame with three columns, x, y, and m, which can be used by functions such as indirect_effect().

Details

It makes use of igraph::all_simple_paths() to identify paths in a model.

Multigroup Models

Since Version 0.1.14.2, support for multigroup models has been added for models fitted by lavaan. If a model has more than one group and group is not specified, than paths in all groups will be returned. If group is specified, than only paths in the selected group will be returned.

Functions

  • all_indirect_paths(): Enumerate all indirect paths.

  • all_paths_to_df(): Convert the output of all_indirect_paths() to a data frame with three columns: x, y, and m.

Examples

library(lavaan)
#> This is lavaan 0.6-17
#> lavaan is FREE software! Please report any bugs.
data(data_serial_parallel)
mod <-
"
m11 ~ x + c1 + c2
m12 ~ m11 + x + c1 + c2
m2 ~ x + c1 + c2
y ~ m12 + m2 + m11 + x + c1 + c2
"
fit <- sem(mod, data_serial_parallel,
           fixed.x = FALSE)
# All indirect paths
out1 <- all_indirect_paths(fit)
out1
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit)
#> Path(s): 
#>    path                 
#> 1  m11 -> m12 -> y      
#> 2  x -> m11 -> m12      
#> 3  x -> m11 -> m12 -> y 
#> 4  x -> m11 -> y        
#> 5  x -> m12 -> y        
#> 6  x -> m2 -> y         
#> 7  c1 -> m11 -> m12     
#> 8  c1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y
#> 9  c1 -> m11 -> y       
#> 10 c1 -> m12 -> y       
#> 11 c1 -> m2 -> y        
#> 12 c2 -> m11 -> m12     
#> 13 c2 -> m11 -> m12 -> y
#> 14 c2 -> m11 -> y       
#> 15 c2 -> m12 -> y       
#> 16 c2 -> m2 -> y        
names(out1)
#>  [1] "m11 -> m12 -> y"       "x -> m11 -> m12"       "x -> m11 -> m12 -> y" 
#>  [4] "x -> m11 -> y"         "x -> m12 -> y"         "x -> m2 -> y"         
#>  [7] "c1 -> m11 -> m12"      "c1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y" "c1 -> m11 -> y"       
#> [10] "c1 -> m12 -> y"        "c1 -> m2 -> y"         "c2 -> m11 -> m12"     
#> [13] "c2 -> m11 -> m12 -> y" "c2 -> m11 -> y"        "c2 -> m12 -> y"       
#> [16] "c2 -> m2 -> y"        

# Exclude c1 and c2 in the search
out2 <- all_indirect_paths(fit, exclude = c("c1", "c2"))
out2
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit, exclude = c("c1", "c2"))
#> Path(s): 
#>   path                
#> 1 m11 -> m12 -> y     
#> 2 x -> m11 -> m12     
#> 3 x -> m11 -> m12 -> y
#> 4 x -> m11 -> y       
#> 5 x -> m12 -> y       
#> 6 x -> m2 -> y        
names(out2)
#> [1] "m11 -> m12 -> y"      "x -> m11 -> m12"      "x -> m11 -> m12 -> y"
#> [4] "x -> m11 -> y"        "x -> m12 -> y"        "x -> m2 -> y"        

# Exclude c1 and c2, and only consider paths start
# from x and end at y
out3 <- all_indirect_paths(fit, exclude = c("c1", "c2"),
                           x = "x",
                           y = "y")
out3
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit, exclude = c("c1", "c2"), x = "x", 
#>     y = "y")
#> Path(s): 
#>   path                
#> 1 x -> m11 -> m12 -> y
#> 2 x -> m11 -> y       
#> 3 x -> m12 -> y       
#> 4 x -> m2 -> y        
names(out3)
#> [1] "x -> m11 -> m12 -> y" "x -> m11 -> y"        "x -> m12 -> y"       
#> [4] "x -> m2 -> y"        

# Multigroup models

data(data_med_complicated_mg)
mod <-
"
m11 ~ x1 + x2 + c1 + c2
m12 ~ m11 + c1 + c2
m2 ~ x1 + x2 + c1 + c2
y1 ~ m11 + m12 + x1 + x2 + c1 + c2
y2 ~ m2 + x1 + x2 + c1 + c2
"
fit <- sem(mod, data_med_complicated_mg, group = "group")
summary(fit)
#> lavaan 0.6.17 ended normally after 13 iterations
#> 
#>   Estimator                                         ML
#>   Optimization method                           NLMINB
#>   Number of model parameters                        66
#> 
#>   Number of observations per group:                   
#>     Group A                                        100
#>     Group B                                        100
#> 
#> Model Test User Model:
#>                                                       
#>   Test statistic                                16.359
#>   Degrees of freedom                                14
#>   P-value (Chi-square)                           0.292
#>   Test statistic for each group:
#>     Group A                                      7.443
#>     Group B                                      8.917
#> 
#> Parameter Estimates:
#> 
#>   Standard errors                             Standard
#>   Information                                 Expected
#>   Information saturated (h1) model          Structured
#> 
#> 
#> Group 1 [Group A]:
#> 
#> Regressions:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>   m11 ~                                               
#>     x1                0.360    0.089    4.037    0.000
#>     x2                0.222    0.103    2.157    0.031
#>     c1                0.275    0.091    3.005    0.003
#>     c2                0.114    0.092    1.240    0.215
#>   m12 ~                                               
#>     m11               0.593    0.088    6.698    0.000
#>     c1                0.030    0.091    0.327    0.743
#>     c2               -0.178    0.089   -1.998    0.046
#>   m2 ~                                                
#>     x1                0.005    0.102    0.045    0.964
#>     x2                0.542    0.117    4.626    0.000
#>     c1                0.082    0.104    0.791    0.429
#>     c2                0.208    0.104    1.992    0.046
#>   y1 ~                                                
#>     m11               0.372    0.119    3.116    0.002
#>     m12               0.351    0.105    3.342    0.001
#>     x1               -0.099    0.098   -1.011    0.312
#>     x2               -0.067    0.107   -0.629    0.529
#>     c1               -0.056    0.097   -0.572    0.567
#>     c2               -0.149    0.096   -1.554    0.120
#>   y2 ~                                                
#>     m2                0.395    0.083    4.771    0.000
#>     x1                0.105    0.084    1.249    0.212
#>     x2                0.178    0.107    1.666    0.096
#>     c1               -0.076    0.087   -0.874    0.382
#>     c2                0.080    0.088    0.912    0.362
#> 
#> Covariances:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>  .y1 ~~                                               
#>    .y2               -0.031    0.084   -0.368    0.713
#> 
#> Intercepts:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>    .m11               0.084    0.096    0.874    0.382
#>    .m12              -0.042    0.093   -0.452    0.651
#>    .m2                0.013    0.109    0.116    0.907
#>    .y1                0.011    0.098    0.108    0.914
#>    .y2               -0.108    0.090   -1.191    0.234
#> 
#> Variances:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>    .m11               0.868    0.123    7.071    0.000
#>    .m12               0.820    0.116    7.071    0.000
#>    .m2                1.126    0.159    7.071    0.000
#>    .y1                0.904    0.128    7.071    0.000
#>    .y2                0.774    0.109    7.071    0.000
#> 
#> 
#> Group 2 [Group B]:
#> 
#> Regressions:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>   m11 ~                                               
#>     x1                0.104    0.107    0.970    0.332
#>     x2               -0.012    0.106   -0.114    0.909
#>     c1                0.364    0.103    3.526    0.000
#>     c2                0.106    0.109    0.978    0.328
#>   m12 ~                                               
#>     m11               0.346    0.096    3.606    0.000
#>     c1                0.219    0.102    2.136    0.033
#>     c2               -0.135    0.105   -1.285    0.199
#>   m2 ~                                                
#>     x1               -0.057    0.104   -0.542    0.588
#>     x2                0.307    0.103    2.965    0.003
#>     c1                0.223    0.101    2.218    0.027
#>     c2                0.181    0.106    1.700    0.089
#>   y1 ~                                                
#>     m11               0.351    0.100    3.509    0.000
#>     m12               0.056    0.098    0.568    0.570
#>     x1                0.080    0.102    0.781    0.435
#>     x2                0.016    0.100    0.157    0.875
#>     c1               -0.294    0.106   -2.782    0.005
#>     c2                0.061    0.104    0.582    0.561
#>   y2 ~                                                
#>     m2                0.398    0.099    4.025    0.000
#>     x1                0.023    0.104    0.224    0.823
#>     x2                0.301    0.107    2.812    0.005
#>     c1                0.110    0.102    1.076    0.282
#>     c2               -0.008    0.107   -0.076    0.940
#> 
#> Covariances:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>  .y1 ~~                                               
#>    .y2               -0.077    0.096   -0.805    0.421
#> 
#> Intercepts:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>    .m11               0.112    0.104    1.075    0.282
#>    .m12               0.149    0.100    1.478    0.139
#>    .m2                0.112    0.101    1.107    0.268
#>    .y1                0.057    0.100    0.575    0.565
#>    .y2                0.198    0.101    1.959    0.050
#> 
#> Variances:
#>                    Estimate  Std.Err  z-value  P(>|z|)
#>    .m11               1.044    0.148    7.071    0.000
#>    .m12               0.969    0.137    7.071    0.000
#>    .m2                0.992    0.140    7.071    0.000
#>    .y1                0.933    0.132    7.071    0.000
#>    .y2                0.978    0.138    7.071    0.000
#> 

all_indirect_paths(fit,
                   x = "x1",
                   y = "y1")
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit, x = "x1", y = "y1")
#> Path(s): 
#>   path                          
#> 1 Group A.x1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y1
#> 2 Group A.x1 -> m11 -> y1       
#> 3 Group B.x1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y1
#> 4 Group B.x1 -> m11 -> y1       
all_indirect_paths(fit,
                   x = "x1",
                   y = "y1",
                   group = 1)
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit, x = "x1", y = "y1", group = 1)
#> Path(s): 
#>   path                          
#> 1 Group A.x1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y1
#> 2 Group A.x1 -> m11 -> y1       
all_indirect_paths(fit,
                   x = "x1",
                   y = "y1",
                   group = "Group B")
#> Call: 
#> all_indirect_paths(fit = fit, x = "x1", y = "y1", group = "Group B")
#> Path(s): 
#>   path                          
#> 1 Group B.x1 -> m11 -> m12 -> y1
#> 2 Group B.x1 -> m11 -> y1