文章来自Handbook of Psychology, Second Edition一书第23章，简要介绍了Structural Equation Modeling
Structural equation modeling (SEM) is a collection of statistical techniques that allow a set of relationships between one or more independent variables (IVs), either continuous or discrete, and one or more dependent variables (DVs), either continuous or discrete, to be examined. Both IVs and DVs can be either factors or measured variables. Structural equation modeling is also referred to as causal modeling, causal analysis, simultaneous equation modeling, analysis of covariance structures, path analysis, or
confirmatory factor analysis. The latter two are actually special types of SEM.