Design Effect in Multilevel Settings: A Commentary on a Latent Variable Modeling Procedure for Its Evaluation

A latent variable modeling-based procedure is discussed that permits to readily point and interval estimate the design effect index in multilevel settings using widely circulated software. The method provides useful information about the relationship of important parameter standard errors when accounting for clustering effects relative to conducting single-level analyses. The approach can also be employed as an addendum to point and interval estimation of the intraclass correlation coefficient in empirical research. The discussed procedure makes it easily possible to evaluate the design effect in two-level studies by utilizing the popular latent variable modeling methodology and is illustrated with an example.