---
title: "Quick Start To set_cfa_layout"
author: "Shu Fai Cheung & Mark Hok Chio Lai"
date: "`r Sys.Date()`"
output: rmarkdown::html_vignette
vignette: >
%\VignetteIndexEntry{Quick Start To set_cfa_layout}
%\VignetteEngine{knitr::rmarkdown}
%\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8}
%\VignetteDepends{magrittr}
---
```{r, include = FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(
collapse = TRUE,
comment = "#>",
fig.width = 8,
fig.height = 6,
fig.align = "center"
)
```
# Introduction
The package
[semptools](https://sfcheung.github.io/semptools/)
([CRAN page](https://cran.r-project.org/package=semptools))
contains functions that *post-process* an output from
`semPlot::semPaths()`, to help users to customize the appearance of the graphs
generated by `semPlot::semPaths()`. For the introduction to functions for doing
very specific tasks, such as moving the parameter estimate of a path or rotating
the residual of a variable, please refer to `vignette("semptools")`.
The present guide focuses on how to use `set_cfa_layout()` to configure various
aspects of an `semPaths` graph generated for a typical confirmatory factor
analysis (CFA) model.
# The Initial semPaths Graph
Let us consider a CFA model. We will use `cfa_example`, a sample CFA dataset
from `semptools` with 14 variables for illustration.
```{r}
library(semptools)
head(round(cfa_example, 3), 3)
```
This is the CFA model to be fitted:
```{r}
mod <-
'f1 =~ x01 + x02 + x03
f2 =~ x04 + x05 + x06 + x07
f3 =~ x08 + x09 + x10
f4 =~ x11 + x12 + x13 + x14
'
```
Fitting the model by `lavaan::cfa()`
```{r}
library(lavaan)
fit <- lavaan::cfa(mod, cfa_example)
```
This is the plot from `semPlot::semPaths()`:
```{r}
library(semPlot)
p <- semPaths(fit, whatLabels="est",
sizeMan = 3.25,
node.width = 1,
edge.label.cex = .75,
style = "ram",
mar = c(10, 5, 10, 5))
```
The default layout is sufficient to have a quick examination of the results. We
will see how `set_cfa_layout()` can be used to do the following tasks to
*post-process* the graph:
- Change the order of the indicators.
- Change the order of the factors.
- Change the curvature of the inter-factor covariances.
- Move the loadings along the paths from factors to indicators.
- Rotate the graph.
# Order the Indicators and Factors
Suppose we want to do this:
- Order the factors this way, from the left to the right:
- `f2, f1, f4, f3`
- Order the indicators this way, from the left to the right:
- `x04, x05, x06, x07, x01, x02, x03, x11, x12, x13, x14, x08, x09, x10`
- We would like to place the factors this way:
- `f2` above the center of `x04`, `x05`, `x06`, and `x07`.
- `f1` above the center of `x01`, `x02`, and `x03`.
- `f4` above the center of `x11`, `x12`, `x13`, and `x14`.
- `f3` above the center of `x08`, `x09`, and `x10`.
To do this, we create two vectors, one for the argument `indicator_order` and
the other for the argument `indicator_factor`.
- `indicator_order` is a string vector with length equal to the number of
indicators, with the desired order. In this example, it will be like this:
```{r}
indicator_order <- c("x04", "x05", "x06", "x07",
"x01", "x02", "x03",
"x11", "x12", "x13", "x14",
"x08", "x09", "x10")
```
- `indicator_factor` is a string vector with length equal to the number of
indicators. The elements are the names of the latent factors, denoting which
indicators will be used to compute the mean positions to place the latent
factors:
```{r}
indicator_factor <- c( "f2", "f2", "f2", "f2",
"f1", "f1", "f1",
"f4", "f4", "f4", "f4",
"f3", "f3", "f3")
```
The `set_cfa_layout()` function needs at least three arguments:
- `semPaths_plot`: The `semPaths` plot.
- `indicator_order`: The vector for the order of indicators.
- `indicator_factor`: The vector for the placement of the latent factors.
They do not have to be named if they are in this order.
We now use `set_cfa_layout()` to post-process the graph:
```{r}
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p,
indicator_order,
indicator_factor)
plot(p2)
```
# Change the Curvatures of the Factor Covariances
The graph has the factors and indicators ordered as required. However, the
inter-factor covariances are too close to the factors. To increases the
curvatures of the covariances, we can use the argument `fcov_curve`.
The default is .4. Let us increase it to 1.75.
```{r}
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p,
indicator_order,
indicator_factor,
fcov_curve = 1.75)
plot(p2)
```
The covariances are now more readable. The exact effect of the values vary
from graph to graph. Therefore, trial and error is required to find a value
suitable for a graph.
# Move the Loadings
We can also move all the factor loadings together using the argument
`loading_position`. The default value is .5, at the middle of the paths. If we
want to move the loadings closer to the indicators, we increase this number.
If we want to move the loadings closer to the indicators, we decrease this
number. In the following example, we move the loadings closer to the
indicators, and increase the distance between them in the process.
```{r}
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p,
indicator_order,
indicator_factor,
fcov_curve = 1.75,
loading_position = .8)
plot(p2)
```
The factor loadings are now easier to read, and also closer to the corresponding
indicators.
# Rotate the Model
The default orientation is "pointing downwards": latent factors on the top,
pointing down to the indicators on the bottom. The orientation can be set to
one of these four directions: down (default), left, up, and right.
This is done by the argument `point_to`.
```{r}
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p,
indicator_order,
indicator_factor,
fcov_curve = 1.75,
loading_position = .8,
point_to = "up")
plot(p2)
```
# Pipe
Like other functions in `semptools`, the `set_cfa_layout()` function can be
chained with other functions using the pipe operator, `%>%`, from the
package `magrittr`, or the native pipe operator `|>` available since R 4.1.x.
Suppose we want to mark the significant test results for the free parameters
using `mark_sig()`:
```{r eval = FALSE}
# If R version >= 4.1.0
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p,
indicator_order,
indicator_factor,
fcov_curve = 1.75,
loading_position = .9,
point_to = "up") |>
mark_sig(fit)
plot(p2)
```
```{r echo = FALSE}
# if ((compareVersion(as.character(getRversion()), "4.1.0")) >= 0) {
# p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p, indicator_order, indicator_factor, fcov_curve = 1.75,
# loading_position = .9, point_to = "up") |>
# mark_sig(fit)
# } else {
require(magrittr)
p2 <- set_cfa_layout(p, indicator_order, indicator_factor, fcov_curve = 1.75,
loading_position = .9, point_to = "up") %>%
mark_sig(fit)
# }
plot(p2)
```
# Limitations
- Currently, if a function needs the SEM output, only lavaan output is supported.