What is the best way to plot regression weights, including interaction from SEM analysis?

[Guest]

I have developed a SEM model (latent growth model to be precise) that regresses a latent variable (the latent intercept) on several dichotomous predictors. Trouble is, I also test for interactions, which makes it all the more difficult to understand for the reader.

(I did the analysis with another software than Stata, this software has limited graphical capabilities (Mplus). In Stata I would need to use both -sem- and -gsem- (gsem due to categorical indicators in some analysis), at least that's what I believe. Another option is R/lavaan, but I prefer Stata over R.)

So, within Stata, how should I get plots for regression weights estimated in a SEM-model (-sem- and -gsem-)?

I have three main effects: a, b, and c. All these three variables are dichotomous, a and b are membership in religious groups, c is gender. (Nonreligios are scored zero on both a and b.) I then add two dichtomous variables representing interaction effects between religious affiliation and gender (a*c and b*c, both are dichotomous).

Thus:

latent intercept <- religousgroup1 religiousgroup2 gender religiousgroup1female religiousgroup2female

The results are bound to be confusing for many people unless I use plots. I found Ben Jann's presentation of -ceofplot- interesting. Before I start digging into this on my own: I wonder which package/approach I should consider first while educating myself on how to use plots for regression weights obtained with -sem- and -gsem-.

[Aaditya Dar]

In case you weren't aware of it already, -marginsplot- "graphs the results of the immediately preceding margins command". Please see http://www.stata.com/manuals14/rmarginsplot.pdf for some ideas.

[Guest]

Thanks. But as you seem to anticipate, I am aware of marginsplot. It doesn't seem to satisfy what I need, though.

[Aaditya Dar]

In that case, I would recommend -coefplot- (available from SSC) but maybe others have different suggestions.

[Guest]

-coefplot- is the only I found, you suggest this indeed seems like the best solutions. Thanks for that and for answering. I will linvestigate my options.
If others drop in and particate in this exchange: please remember I would like plots when using -sem- and -gsem-.

[Steve Samuels]

I don't know much about sem, but I'm surprised that marginsplot doesn't work for you. The Manual (pp 1446-1448) has an extended example of graphing three-way interactions.

[Guest]

Thanks, Steve and Aaditya. I've managed ot get -coefplot- return a plot for parameters obtained from Mplus run from Stata (via runmplus, so I didn't even have to run estimation within Stata). The plot is nowhere near what I want (yet?), but -coefplot- does call parameters obtained from other applications (as long as they are included in a Stata matrix).

-coefplot- seems like a handy tool for many different needs, even for mine in this case. Hats off to Ben Jann.