This article gives an introduction to latent class, latent profile, and latent transition models for
researchers interested in investigating individual differences in learning and development.
The models allow analyzing how the observed heterogeneity in a group (eg, individual
differences in conceptual knowledge) can be traced back to underlying homogeneous
subgroups (eg, learners differing systematically in their developmental phases). The
estimated parameters include a characteristic response pattern for each subgroup, and, in …