j 2 into two separate constructs, which results in a two-factor model as depicted in Fig. While marketing researchers routinely rely on the Fornell-Larcker criterion and cross-loadings (Hair et al. j Table 4 also lists the significant (p < 0.05) partial cross-loadings. In J. Lita da Dilva, F. Caeiro, I. Natário, & C. A. Braumann (Eds. and ξ We suggest assessing the heterotrait-monotrait ratio (HTMT) of the correlations, which is the average of the heterotrait-heteromethod correlations (i.e., the correlations of indicators across constructs measuring different phenomena), relative to the average of the monotrait-heteromethod correlations (i.e., the correlations of indicators within the same construct). Long Range Planning, 47(3), 161–167. Long Range Planning, 47(3), 146–153. The manuscript was written when the first author was an associate professor of marketing at the Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. SIGMIS Database, 44(4), 11–43. Interfirm strategic information flows in logistics supply chain relationships. Thus, neither approach mistakenly indicates discriminant validity issues at levels of inter-construct correlations, which most researchers are likely to consider indicative of discriminant validity. The American Customer Satisfaction Index: nature, purpose, and findings. Only the use of HTMTinference suggests that discriminant validity has been established. Ringle, C. M., Sarstedt, M., & Mooi, E. A. ), Systems under indirect observations: part II (pp. (2014). Paxton, P., Curran, P. J., Bollen, K. A., Kirby, J., & Chen, F. (2001). However, considering the poor performance of cross-loadings in our study, its use in formative measurement models appears questionable. reflective indicators of construct ξ Likewise, heterogeneous sub-dimensions in the construct’s set of items could also deflate the average monotrait-heteromethod correlations. Holm, S. (1979). As a result, the degree of overlap between each indicator and composite will be high, yielding inflated loading estimates, especially if the number of indicators per construct (composite) is small (Aguirre-Urreta et al. (2012). 2011; Peng and Lai 2012; Ringle et al. 2003). jk American Psychologist, 15(8), 546–553. (2004). A more detailed analysis of the results shows that all three HTMT approaches have specificity rates of well above 50% with regard to inter-construct correlations of 0.80 or less, regardless of the loading patterns and sample sizes. Hair, J. F., Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Mena, J. Apr 26, 2020, How to calculate the average of a construct, Discriminant Validity through Cross Loadings, How to calculate Average Variance Extracted and Composite Reliability. It cannot be ruled out that some heterotrait-heteromethod correlations exceed monotrait-heteromethod correlations, although the two constructs do in fact differ (Schmitt and Stults 1986). j , its interpretation is straightforward: if the indicators of two constructs ξ MIS Quarterly, 24(3), 381–415. 2014). (2010), as well as Vilares and Coelho (2013), we generate 1,000 datasets for each combination of design factors. The monotrait-heteromethod correlations subpart includes the correlations of indicators that belong to the same construct. Schmitt, N., & Stults, D. M. (1986). Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(3), 434–449. Home; About Us; Amenities; Floor Plans; Photo Gallery; Contact; fornell larcker criterion spss The sensitivity remains unacceptably low in respect of homogeneous loadings patterns, no matter what the sample size is. In this case, researchers may consider splitting the construct into homogenous sub-constructs, if the measurement theory supports this step. Fornell, C. G., & Bookstein, F. L. (1982). However, researchers need to re-evaluate the newly generated constructs’ discriminant validity with all the opposing constructs in the model. Researchers thus face a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, and need to find a find a balance between the two (Macmillan and Creelman 2004). Fornell-Larcker criterion:Each construct’s AVE should be higher than its squared correlation with any other construct(Fornell and Larcker 1981) Cross loadings:Each indicator should load highest on the construct it is intended to measure(Chin 1998; Grégoire … In order to shed light on the Fornell-Larcker criterion’s efficacy, as well as on that of the cross-loadings, we conducted a small simulation study. jK Technically, the HTMT provides two advantages over the disattenuated construct score correlation: The HTMT does not require a factor analysis to obtain factor loadings, nor does it require the calculation of construct scores. Scaling procedures: issues and applications. However, in simulation models this criterion did not prove reliable for composite-based structural equation models (e.g., PLS-PM), but for factor-based structural equation models (e.g., Amos, PLSF-SEM). j 295–358). Discriminant validity ensures that a construct measure is empirically unique and represents phenomena of interest that other measures in a structural equation model do not capture (Hair et al. 2 (i.e., x The AVE represents the average amount of variance that a construct explains in its indicator variables relative to the overall variance of its indicators. indicators can be formulated as follows: In essence, as suggested by Nunnally (1978) and Netemeyer et al. PLS’ Janus face – response to professor Rigdon’s ‘rethinking partial least squares modeling: in praise of simple methods’. Similarly, the assessment of partial cross-loadings—an approach which has not been used in variance-based SEM—proves inefficient in many settings commonly encountered in applied research. i Third, we demonstrate the efficacy of HTMT by means of a Monte Carlo simulation, in which we compare its performance with that of the Fornell-Larcker criterion and with the assessment of the cross-loadings. 2014).Footnote 5 Second, Rönkkö and Evermann (2013) did not examine the performance of the cross-loadings assessment. 1 to x An empirical comparison of the efficacy of covariance-based and variance-based SEM. In V. Esposito Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler, & H. Wang (Eds. As Shaffer (1995, p. 575) notes, “[t]esting with confidence intervals has the advantage that they give more information by indicating the direction and something about the magnitude of the difference or, if the hypothesis is not rejected, the power of the procedure can be gauged by the width of the interval.”. Part of Springer Nature. Fornell, C. G., & Cha, J. Psychological Bulletin, 110(2), 305–314. Total Quality Management, 11(7), 869–882. Optimally, all the approaches should indicate a lack of discriminant validity under this condition. The squared inter-construct correlation r Rigdon, E. E. (2012). j Blogdown, Goodhue, D. L., Lewis, W., & Thompson, R. (2012). This empirical example of the ACSI model and the use of original data illustrate a situation in which the classical criteria do not indicate any discriminant validity issues, whereas the two more conservative HTMT criteria do. 52–78). (1999). Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. th indicator (k = 1,…,K Diamantopoulos, A., & Winklhofer, H. M. (2001). MIS Quarterly, forthcoming. Applying them to formatively measured constructs is problematic, because neither the monotrait-heteromethod nor the heterotrait-heteromethod correlations of formative indicators are indicative of discriminant validity. Foundations of factor analysis. $$, $$ \sqrt{\mathrm{AVE}{\xi}_j}> \max \left|{r}_{ij}\right|\kern2em \forall i\ne j. However, in simulation models this criterion did not prove reliable for variance-based structural equation models (e.g. The cross-loadings: Does any indicator correlate more strongly with the other constructs than with its own construct? Journal of Business Research, 63(3), 324–327. 2003), which include the constructs intention to use and the actual use. Consistent partial least squares path modeling. While this approach has not been applied in the context of variance-based SEM, its use is common in covariance-based SEM, where it is typically applied in the form of modification indices. Traditional approaches’ unacceptably low sensitivity regarding assessing discriminant validity calls for an alternative criterion. A concise guide to market research. Now, let r 193–221). By means of a simulation study, we show that these ap-proaches do not reliably detect the lack of discriminant valid-ity in common research situations. The empirical correlation matrix R is then, If the reflective measurement model (i.e., a common factor model) holds true for both constructs, the implied correlation matrix Σ is then, We depart from the notion that Cronbach’s alpha is. The heterotrait-heteromethod correlations subpart includes the correlations between the different constructs’ indicators. 4 to x User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. Detection theory: a user’s guide. j 2012). Peng, D. X., & Lai, F. (2012). 2012a; Ringle et al. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). Clark, L. A., & Watson, D. (1995). Its implementation therefore also renders HTMTinference more conservative in terms of its sensitivity assessment (compared to other multiple testing approaches), which seems warranted given the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the cross-loadings’ poor performance in the previous simulation study. In V. Esposito Vinzi, W. W. Chin, J. Henseler, & H. Wang (Eds. 1,…,x Reducing causal ambiguity in acquisition integration: intermediate goals as mediators of integration decisions and acquisition performance. Nunnally, J. $$, $$ \mathrm{AVE}{\xi}_j> \max {r}_{ij}^2\kern2em \forall i\ne j. This condition mirrors a situation in which an analyst mistakenly models two constructs, although they actually form a single construct. The origin of this characteristic lies in the methods’ treatment of constructs. Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Specificity of approaches to assess discriminant validity in homogeneous loading patterns, Specificity of approaches to assess discriminant validity in heterogeneous loading patterns. Substantial modification indices point analysts to the correlations between indicator error terms and other constructs, which are nothing but partial correlations. We would like to thank an anonymous reviewer for this remark. In line with Vilares et al. Constructs that are conceptually different should also be empirically different, no matter how they have been measured, and no matter the types of epistemic relationships between a construct and its indicators. Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959). Therefore, this article presents the results of discriminant validity assessment using these methods. Prior literature gives practically no recommendations on how to assess the discriminant validity of formatively measured constructs. A sharper Bonferroni procedure for multiple significance testing. 3 and x Against this background, future research should seek alternative means to consider formatively measured constructs when assessing discriminant validity. At the same time, the introduction of composites as substitutes for latent variables leaves cross-loadings largely unaffected. He indicates some limitations of the analyses, pinpoints where they can be misleading, and introduces some new notions. Klein, R., & Rai, A. j Nunnally (1978) offers an extreme example with five mutually uncorrelated indicators, implying zero loadings if all were measures of a construct. Amsterdam: North Holland. 2.2. In conclusion, the Fornell-Larcker criterion and the assessment of the cross-loadings fail to reliably uncover discriminant validity problems in variance-based SEM. Journal of Business Research, 61(12), 1238–1249. Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-multimethod matrix. Second, to examine the approaches’ specificity, we decrease the inter-construct correlations in 50 steps of 0.02 from φ = 1.00 to φ = 0.00, covering the full range of absolute correlations. j 108 Fornell & Larcker Researcher usually report the correlation matrix with the square root of AVEs on the diagonal in an Appendix The AVE criterion (and thus the Fornell-Larcker criterion) is not applicatble to formative measurement model and single-item constructs Discriminant Validity: Fornell & Larcker … Shah, R., & Goldstein, S. M. (2006). This relatively high percentage is not surprising, considering that even marginal correlations (e.g., an absolute value of 0.028) become significant as a result of the high sample size. Journal of Management Information Systems, 25(3), 99–132. (2009). Instead, approaches with a higher sensitivity will usually have a lower specificity and vice versa. Simultaneous statistical inference. 2010, 2014) that used this dataset in their ACSI model examples, we rely on a modified version of the ACSI model without the constructs complaints (dummy-coded indicator) and loyalty (more than 80% of the cases for this construct measurement are missing). Cording, M., Christmann, P., & King, D. R. (2008). However, in the light of the conceptual similarity of the ACSI model’s constructs, the use of a more liberal criterion for specificity seems warranted. j The AVE thus equals the average squared standardized loading, and it is equivalent to the mean value of the indicator reliabilities. Lee, L., Petter, S., Fayard, D., & Robinson, S. (2011). 4 indicate. exhibit an HTMT value that is clearly smaller than one, the true correlation between the two constructs is most likely different from one, and they should differ. 8). Thousand Oaks: Sage. 11–33). Shook, C. L., Ketchen, D. J., Hult, G. T. M., & Kacmar, K. M. (2004). However, it is also possible to conduct a statistical test of other constructs’ influence on an indicator using partial cross-loadings.Footnote 4 The partial cross-loadings determine the effect of a construct on an indicator other than the one the indicator is intended to measure after controlling for the influence of the construct that the indicator should measure. The sample size clearly matters for the partial cross-loadings approach. Their simulation study, which originally evaluated the performance of model validation indices in PLS, included a population model with two identical constructs. OR Spectrum, 36(1), 251–276. According to this criterion, the convergent validity of the measurement model can be assessed by the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) and … If that is the case, discriminant validity is established on the construct level. Linear indices in nonlinear structural equation models: best fitting proper indices and other composites. 2010; Hair et al. (2014). A comparative study on parameter recovery of three approaches to structural equation modeling. New York: Chapman & Hall/CRC. The sensitivity, as introduced before, quantifies each approach’s ability to detect a lack of discriminant validity if two constructs are identical. While these deviations are usually relatively small (i.e., less than 0.05; Reinartz et al. In the following, we derive such a criterion from the classical multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix (Campbell and Fiske 1959), which permits a systematic discriminant validity assessment to establish construct validity. In real research situations, however, it is virtually impossible to achieve perfect sensitivity and perfect specificity simultaneously due to, for example, measurement or sampling errors. According to this criterion, the square root of the average variance extracted by a construct must be greater than the … (2014a). Surprisingly, the MTMM matrix approach has hardly been applied in variance-based SEM (for a notable exception see Loch et al. Next, we compute the HTMT criteria for each pair of constructs on the basis of the item correlations (Table 5) as defined in Eq. A practical guide to factorial validity using PLS-Graph: tutorial and annotated example. The reduced ACSI model consists of the four reflectively measured constructs: customer satisfaction (ACSI), customer expectations (CUEX), perceived quality (PERQ), and perceived value (PERV). (2000). Apart from continuously refining, extending, and testing the HTMT-based validity assessment criteria for variance-based SEM (e.g., by evaluating their sensitivity to different base response scales, inducing variance basis differences and differential response biases), future research should also assess whether this study’s findings can be generalized to covariance-based SEM techniques, or the recently proposed consistent PLS (Dijkstra 2014; Dijkstra and Henseler 2014a, b), which mimics covariance-based SEM. Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). The exact threshold level of the HTMT is debatable; after all, “when is a correlation close to one”? The graphs visualize the frequency with which each approach indicates that the two constructs are distinct regarding varying levels of inter-construct correlations, loading patterns, and sample sizes. i In particular, the assessment of the cross-loadings completely fails to detect discriminant validity issues. An assessment of the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling in marketing research. i ), Handbook of partial least squares: concepts, methods and applications (pp. Technology Studies, 2(2), 285–309. We also benchmarked their results against those of regressions with summed scales, which is an alternative method for estimating relationships between composites (Goodhue et al. science is not common sense, and its basic Sosik, J. J., Kahai, S. S., & Piovoso, M. J. The HTMT.90 criterion: Is the HTMT criterion greater than 0.90? of constructs ξ Two structural equation models: LISREL and PLS applied to consumer exit-voice theory. Fornell, C. G., Johnson, M. D., Anderson, E. W., Cha, J., & Bryant, B. E. (1996). and ξ Berlin: Springer. Second, one-by-one comparisons of values in large correlation matrices can quickly become tedious, which may be one reason for the MTMM matrix analysis not being a standard approach to assess discriminant validity in variance-based SEM. (1978). In fact, a factor loading presents the level of a regression path from a latent to its indicators. Pavlou, P. A., Liang, H., & Xue, Y. Here, HTMT.90 achieves higher sensitivity rates compared to HTMTinference. Confirmatory tetrad analysis in PLS path modeling. Multiple hypothesis testing. Since HTMTinference relies on one-tailed tests, we use the 90% bootstrap confidence interval in order to warrant an error probability of five percent. There are two ways of using the HTMT to assess discriminant validity: (1) as a criterion or (2) as a statistical test. However, these studies do not provide any systematic assessment of the Fornell-Larcker criterion’s efficacy regarding testing discriminant validity. The estimated strength of these relationships, most notably between the latent variables, can only be meaningfully interpreted if construct validity was established (Peter and Churchill 1986). (2009). Kline, R. B. For example, ceteris paribus, when loading patterns are heterogeneous, specificity rates decrease at lower levels of inter-construct correlations compared to conditions with homogeneous loading patterns. Fornell and Larcker criterion is the most widely used method for this purpose. Google Scholar. Correspondence to Finally, in order to examine the sensitivity and specificity of the approaches, we vary the inter-construct correlations. While this rule is theoretically sound, it is problematic in empirical research practice. Marko Sarstedt. Since there are two monotrait-heteromethod submatrices, we take the geometric mean of their average correlations. The author comments on Fornell and Larcker's article in the February 1981 issue of JMR. Bollen, K. A., & Lennox, R. (1991). Gefen, D., & Straub, D. W. (2005). , we must conclude that the indicator does not indiscriminately measure its focal construct ξ Moreover, we offer guidelines for treating discriminant validity problems. ), Systems under indirect observation, part II (pp. Some authors suggest a threshold of 0.85 (Clark and Watson 1995; Kline 2011), whereas others propose a value of 0.90 (Gold et al. Of the three approaches, HTMT.85 is the most conservative criterion, as it achieves the lowest specificity rates of all the simulation conditions. Hence, the comparison of cross-loadings does not provide a basis for identifying discriminant validity issues. Long Range Planning, 45(5–6), 341–358. i Variance-based structural equation modeling: guidelines for using partial least squares in information systems research. is explained by another variable (i.e., the correlation between the error term of an indicator and another construct is significant), we can no longer maintain the assumption that ε Therefore, the very nature of algorithms, such as PLS, favors the support of discriminant validity as described by Barclay et al. Consequently, the HTMT of the constructs ξ 2014; Hwang et al. The evaluation of the PLS results meets the relevant criteria (Chin 1998, 2010; Götz et al. 2001) and in variance-based SEM in particular (e.g., Reinartz et al. Schmitt, N. (1978). 2, which Rönkkö and Evermann (2013) and Henseler et al. 2013).Footnote 2 Furthermore, each indicator’s error variance is also included in the composite (e.g., Bollen and Lennox 1991), which increases the validity gap between the construct and the composite (Rigdon 2014) and, ultimately, compounds the inflation in the loading estimates. Brady, R. Calantone, E. Ramirez, 2016. Variance-based SEM methods, such as PLS or GSCA, use composites of indicator variables as substitutes for the underlying constructs (Henseler et al. The process, data, and methods using IBM SPSS Statistics. In this paper, we focus on examining discriminant validity as one of the key building blocks of model evaluation (e.g.,Bagozzi and Phillips 1982; Hair et al. 5). 2012), we vary the indicator loading patterns to allow for (1) different levels of the AVE and (2) varying degrees of heterogeneity between the loadings. It only detects a lack of discriminant validity in more than 50% of simulation runs in situations with very heterogeneous loading patterns (i.e., 0.50 /0.70 /0.90) and sample sizes of 500 or less. In K. G. Jöreskog & H. Wold (Eds. PLS-SEM A PLS path model consists of two elements: ... Fornell-Larcker criterion Cross Loadings HTMT Criteria (<1). In line with Rönkkö and Evermann (2013), as well as Henseler et al. 2007; Ravichandran and Rai 2000) by using, for example, Anderson and Gerbing's (1988) test as the standard.Footnote 1. J. of the Acad. 4, the heterotrait-heteromethod correlations subpart consists of the nine correlations between the indicators of the construct ξ Sci. Journal of Statistical Software, 48(3), 1–32. Loch, K. D., Straub, D. W., & Kamel, S. (2003). Second, our results are not due to a certain method’s characteristics, because we used different model estimation techniques. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. and K ), Handbook of partial least squares: concepts, methods and applications (pp. i Reinartz, W. J., Haenlein, M., & Henseler, J. The partial cross-loadings: Is an indicator significantly explained by a construct that it is not intended to measure when the actual construct’s influence is partialed out? Second, the heterotrait-heteromethod correlations quantify the relationships between two measurements of different constructs by means of different methods (i.e., items). Barclay, D. W., Higgins, C. A., & Thompson, R. (1995). For example, the marketing studies in Hair et al. AMOS SmartPLS LISREL PLS-Graph MPLUS PLS-GUI EQS SPADPLS SAS LVPLS R WarpPLS SEPATH PLS-PM CALIS semPLS LISCOMP Visual PLS Lavaan PLSPath COSAN XLSTAT. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(3), 414–433. Consequently, any derivation of HTMT thresholds is subjective. 2012). If this systematic error is due to another construct ξ Journal of Marketing Research, 47(4), 699–712. New York: Guilford Press. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 43 (1), 115–135, doi: 10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8. Consistent and asymptotically normal PLS estimators for linear structural equations. In the case of PLS, Barclay et al. Evaluation of structural equation models using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. Recommendations for APA test standards regarding construct, trait, or discriminant validity. Chin (2010) suggests examining the squared loadings and cross-loadings instead of the loadings and cross-loadings. (1986). Psychological Bulletin, 56(2), 81–105. Voorhees, M.K. Academic theme and Dabei wird verkürzt gesagt erwartet, dass die Konvergenzvalidität größer ist als die Diskriminanzvalidität. In the example in Fig. Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands, ISEGI, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Hamburg, Germany, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany, You can also search for this author in