Structural Equation Modelling (SEM)

SEM combines factor analysis and regression into one system: the measurement model checks that questionnaire items represent their latent constructs, and the structural model tests the hypothesised paths between constructs.

Two families exist — covariance-based SEM (AMOS/LISREL, for theory confirmation) and variance-based PLS-SEM (SmartPLS, for prediction and complex models). Choosing between them is a design decision, not a software preference.