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1 year ago in Conceptualization By Devatest

What are the philosophical (epistemological) assumptions underlying the development and testing of a positivist conceptual framework using SEM?

What are the epistemological assumptions that underpin the development and testing of a positivist conceptual framework using SEM?

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By Judeth Answered 10 months ago

The approach assumes a realist ontology (an objective reality exists) and an objectivist epistemology (the researcher can measure this reality without bias). It posits that abstract constructs are measurable, causal relationships between them are determinable, and the goal is to explain and predict phenomena through empirical testing, aiming for generalizable laws—all of which SEM is designed to statistically model and validate.  

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