A Restricted Latent Class Hidden Markov Model for Polytomous Responses, Polytomous Attributes, and Covariates: Identifiability and Application

Abstract: We introduce a restricted latent class exploratory model for longitudinal data with ordinal attributes and respondent-specific covariates. Responses follow a hidden Markov model where the probability of a particular latent state at a time point is conditional on values at the previous time point of the respondent's covariates and latent state. We prove that the model is identifiable, state a Bayesian formulation, and demonstrate its efficacy in a variety of scenarios through a simulation study. As a real-world demonstration, we apply the model to response data from a mathematics examination, and compare the results to a previously published confirmatory analysis.