Comparisons of Structural Equation Modeling and Hierarchical Linear Modeling Approaches to Couples' Data

This article compares 2 statistical approaches for the analysis of data obtained from married couples. The article summarizes a current multilevel (or hierarchical) model that has demonstrated considerable utility in marital research; it also extends this formulation in several respects. This model is then respecified into a more familiar structural equation modeling (SEM) formulation, highlighting the similarities and the differences in the 2 approaches. Cross-sectional data on 348 American married couples is used to examine the influence of age, duration of marriage, and number of children on marital satisfaction. Results of the 2 sets of analyses yielded nearly identical findings. The strengths and possible extensions of the SEM approach are discussed.