mathematics

LISREL

LISREL is a mathematics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand LISREL rather than just read about it. In short: LISREL (linear structural relations) is a proprietary statistical software package used in structural equation modeling (SEM) for manifest and latent variables. History LISREL was developed in the 1970s by Karl Jöreskog, then a scientist at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and Dag Sörbom, later both professors of Uppsala University in Sweden.

Key takeaways

LISREL belongs to mathematics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect LISREL to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of LISREL from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

LISREL (linear structural relations) is a proprietary statistical software package used in structural equation modeling (SEM) for manifest and latent variables.

History LISREL was developed in the 1970s by Karl Jöreskog, then a scientist at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and Dag Sörbom, later both professors of Uppsala University in Sweden.

Command language, graphical user interface LISREL is mainly syntax-based, although recent versions have featured a graphical user interface (GUI). In early 2020, SSI was acquired by the Vector Psychometric Group, a US-based software and consulting company.

See also Confirmatory factor analysis Multivariate analysis Path analysis (statistics) Structural equation modeling

References

Further reading Byrne, Barbara M. (1989). A Primer of LISREL: Basic Applications and Programming for Confirmatory Factor Analytic Models. New York: Springer. ISBN 0-387-96972-1. Kelderman, Henk (1987). "LISREL models for inequality constraints in factor and regression analysis". In Cuttance, Peter; Ecob, Russell (eds.). Structural Modelling by Example. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 221–240. ISBN 0-521-26195-3. Sörbom, Dag (2001). "Karl Jöreskog and LISREL: A Personal Story". Structural Equation Modeling: Present and Future: A Festschrift in Honor of Karl Jöreskog. Scientific Software International. pp. 3–10. ISBN 0-89498-049-1. von Eye, Alexander; Fuller, Bret E. (2003). "A comparison of the SEM software packages Amos, EQS, and LISREL". Structural Equation Modelling : Applications in Ecological and Evolutionary Biology. New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 355–391. ISBN 0-521-78133-7.

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with LISREL

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what LISREL claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In mathematics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to LISREL before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about LISREL ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of LISREL

In research: LISREL appears in mathematics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses LISREL in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: LISREL is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Statistical software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for LISREL outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study LISREL in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what LISREL means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain LISREL out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is LISREL in simple terms?

LISREL (linear structural relations) is a proprietary statistical software package used in structural equation modeling (SEM) for manifest and latent variables. History LISREL was developed in the 1970s by Karl Jöreskog, then a scientist at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, and…

Why does LISREL matter?

Because it connects several mathematics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study LISREL?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on LISREL.