An Introduction to Factored Regression Models with Blimp

In this paper, we provide an introduction to the factored regression framework. This modeling framework applies the rules of probability to break up or “factor” a complex joint distribution into a product of conditional regression models. Using this framework, we can easily specify the complex multivariate models that missing data modeling requires. The article provides a brief conceptual overview of factored regression and describes the functional notation used to conceptualize the models. Furthermore, we present a conceptual overview of how the models are estimated and imputations are obtained. Finally, we discuss how users can use the free software package, Blimp, to estimate the models in the context of a mediation example.