• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, 2015
• B.Soc.Sc. in Psychology, University of Macau, 2011

• Associate Professor (with Tenure), University of Southern California, 2023–2025
• Assistant Professor, University of Southern California, 2018–2023
• Assistant Professor, University of Cincinnati, 2015–2018

• Measurement and psychometrics
• Statistics

• Measurement bias and its impact on decision making
• Multilevel and latent variable modelling
• Methods for data harmonisation and integrative data analysis
• Growth modelling of complex longitudinal data
• Bayesian data analysis for behavioural research

Feter, N., Nanda, A., Hourihan, S., Aslan, D., Feter, J., Duncan, B., Schmidt, M. I., Sayre, M. K., Bharadwaj, P. K., Ally, M., Song, H., Amra, A., Maltagliati, S., Lai, M. H. C., Wilcox, R. R., Klimentidis, Y. C., Alexander, G. E., & Raichlen, D. A. (2025). Associations between distinct sedentary behaviors with dementia risk and brain structure: Findings of the ARIC Study. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 21, 56(e103655). https://doi.org/10.1002/alz70860_103655

Aslan, D. H., Fenton, L., Han, S. D., Lai, M. H. C., Luong, D. M., Markarian, T., Seshadri, A., Alexander, G. E., & Raichlen, D. A. (2025). Cognitive correlates of human endurance. PNAS, 122(47), e2512055122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2512055122

*Beale, A., Ryjova, Y., *Gold, A. I., Kim, Y., Kazmierski, K. F. M., Daspe, M., Lai, M. H. C., & Margolin, G. (2025). Parent aggression exposure and negative expectancies in couple conversation: Rejection sensitivity as a mediator. Journal of Family Violence, 40, 755–765. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-023-00635-2

Lai, M. H. C., *Zhang, Y., *Ozcan, M., *Tse, W., & *Miles, A. (2025). f_MACS: Generalizing d_MACS effect size for measurement noninvariance with multiple groups and multiple grouping variables. Structural Equation Modeling, 32(4), 638–646. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2025.2484812

*Ozcan, M., & Lai, M. H. C. (2025). Exploring the impact of deleting (or retaining) a biased item: A procedure based on classification accuracy. Assessment, 32(8), 1211–1225. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911241298081[ISI 2023 impact factor: 3.5]

Richardson, G. R., Bates, D. G., McLaughlin, L., *McGee, N., *Tse, W. W.-Y., Lai, M. H. C. (2025). Are higher-order constructs in evolutionary psychology attributable to omitted cross-loading bias? An exploratory structural equation modeling approach. Human Nature, 36, 257–280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-025-09497-7

Lai, M. H. C., *Zhang, Y., & *Ji, F. (2024). Correcting for sampling error in between-cluster effects: An empirical Bayes cluster means approach with finite population corrections. Multivariate Behavior Research, 59(3), 584–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2024.2307034

*Liu, Y., Lai, M. H. C., & Kelcey, B. (2024). Comparing MIMIC and MIMIC-interaction to alignment methods for investigating measurement invariance concerning a continuous violator. Structural Equation Modeling, 31(2). 296–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2023.2240517

Ozturk, E., *Zhang, Y., Lai, M. H. C., Chanfreau, C., Sakamoto, M., & Merritt, V. (2024). Measurement Invariance of the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory (NSI) in Male and Female Million Veteran Program (MVP) Enrollees Completing the Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation (CTBIE). Assessment, 31(5), 967–979. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911231198214

*Tse, W. W., Lai, M. H. C., & *Zhang, Y. (2024). Does strict invariance matter? Valid group mean comparisons with ordered-categorical Items. Behavior Research Methods, 56, 3117–3139. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02247-6

*Zhang, Y., & Lai, M. H. C. (2024). Evaluating two small sample corrections for fixed-effects standard errors and inferences in multilevel models with heteroscedastic, unbalanced, clustered data. Behavior Research Methods, 56, 5930–5946. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02325-9

*Cardenas, S. I., *Tse, W. W., *León, G., *Kim, A., *Tureson, K.; Lai, M. H. C., Saxbe, D. E. (2023). Prenatal testosterone synchrony in first-time parents predicts fathers’ postpartum relationship quality. Hormones and Behavior, 156, Article 105440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105440

*Gonzalez, C., Simonell, J. R., Lai, M. H. C., Lopez, S. R., & Tarbox, J. (2023). The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on therapy utilization among racially/ethnically and socio-economically diverse autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 53, 918–933. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-05905-y

Lai, M. H. C., *Tse, W. W. Y., *Zhang, G., *Li, Y., & *Hsiao, Y. Y. (2023). Correcting for unreliability and partial invariance: A two-stage path analysis approach. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 30(2), 258–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2022.2125397

Lai, M. H. C. (2023). Adjusting for measurement noninvariance with alignment optimization in growth modeling. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 58(1), 30–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2021.1941730

Raichlen, D. A., Aslan, D. H., Sayre, M. K., Bharadwaj, P. K., Ally, M., Maltagliati, S., Lai, M. H. C., Wilcox, R. R., Klimentidis, Y. C., & Alexander G. E. (2023). Sedentary behavior and incident dementia among older adults. JAMA, 330(10), 934-940. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.15231

Yu, B. C. L., Chio, F. H. N., Chan, K. K. Y., Mak, W. W. S., *Zhang, G., Vogel, D., & Lai, M. H. C. (2023). Associations between public and self-stigma of help-seeking with help-seeking attitudes and intention: A meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 70(1), 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000637

*Zhang, Y., & Lai, M. H. C., & Palardy, G. J. (2023). A Bayesian framework for establishing measurement invariance for observed test scores. Psychological Methods, 28(4), 993–1004. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000455

Lai, M. H. C., & *Hsiao, Y.-Y. (2022). Two-stage path analysis with definition variables: An alternative framework to account for measurement error. Psychological Methods, 27(4), 568–588. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000410

Lai, M. H. C., *Liu, Y., & *Tse, W. W. (2022). Adjusting for partial invariance in latent parameter estimation: Comparing forward specification search and approximate invariance methods. Behavior Research Methods, 54, 414–434. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-021-01560-2

Lai, M. H. C., & *Zhang, Y. (2022). Classification accuracy of multidimensional tests: Quantifying the impact of noninvariance. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 29(4), 620–629. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2021.1977936

*Liu, M., Yegiyan, N. S., & Lai, M. H. C. (2022). Appetitive food, aversive warning: Interaction effects of visual and verbal cues on psychophysiological and attitudinal responses to PSAs. Media Psychology, 25(6), 851–872.  https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2022.2082982

Raichlen, D. A., Klimentidis, Y. C., Sayre, M. K., Bharadwaj, P. K., Lai, M. H. C., Wilcox, R. R., & Alexander G. E. (2022). Leisure-time sedentary behaviors are differentially associated with all-cause dementia regardless of engagement in physical activity. PNAS, 119(35), e2206931119. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2206931119

Guo, Y., Dynia, J. M., & Lai, M. H. C. (2021). Early childhood Special education teachers’ self-efficacy in relation to individual children: Links to children’s literacy learning. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 54(1), 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.09.002

*Hsiao, Y.-Y., Kwok, O., & Lai, M. H. C. (2021). Modeling measurement errors of the exogenous composites from congeneric measures in interaction models. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 28(2), 250–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2020.1782206

*Ji, Y., Luo, W., Lai, M. H. C., Yoon, M., Chen, L.-S., & Kwok. O. (2021). Model-selection-based approaches to identifying the optimal number of factors in multilevel exploratory factor analysis. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 28(5), 763–777. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2021.1916394

Lai, M. H. C. (2021a). Bootstrap confidence interval for multilevel standardized effect size. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 56(4), 558–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2020.1746902

Lai, M. H. C. (2021b). Composite reliability of multilevel data: It’s about observed scores and construct meanings. Psychological Methods, 26(1), 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000287

*Tilley, J. L., Huey, S. J., Jr., Farver, J. M., Lai, M. H. C., & *Wang, C. X., & (2021). The immigrant paradox in the problem behaviors of youth in the United States: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 92(2), 502–516. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13542

*Atari, M., Lai, M. H. C., & Dehghani, M. (2020). Sex differences in moral judgements across 67 countries. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1937). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.1201

Bae, C., & Lai, M. H. C. (2020). Opportunities to participate in science learning and student engagement: A mixed methods approach to examining person and context factors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112, 1128–1153. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000410

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., Lau, J. T. F., & Walden, D. L. (2020). Incidence of probable depression and its predictors among Chinese secondary school students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 18(6), 1652–1667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-020-00379-w

Lai, M. H. C. (2019). Correcting fixed effect standard errors when a crossed random effect was ignored for balanced and unbalanced designs. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 48, 448–472. https://doi.org/10.3102/1076998619843168

Lai, M. H. C., Richardson, G. B., & Mak, H. W. (2019). Quantifying the impact of partial measurement invariance for addiction research. Addictive Behaviors, 94, 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.11.029

*Chen, C.-C., Richardson, G. B., Lai, M. H. C., Dai, C.-L., & Hays, D. (2018). Development and cross-cultural validity of a Brief Measure of Separation-Individuation. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 2797–2810. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1140-2

Chio, F. H. N., Lai, M. H. C., & Mak, W. W. S. (2018). Development of Nonattachment Scale—Short Form (NAS-SF) using item response theory. Mindfulness, 9, 1299–1308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0874-z

*Hsiao, Y., & Lai, M. H. C. (2018). The impact of partial measurement invariance on testing moderation for single and multi-level data. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00740

*Hsiao, Y., Kwok, O., & Lai, M. H. C. (2018). Evaluation of two methods for modeling measurement errors when testing interaction effects with observed composite scores. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 78, 181–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164416679877

Lai, M. H. C., Kwok, O., *Hsiao, Y., & Qian, C. (2018). Finite population correction for two-level hierarchical linear modeling. Psychological Methods, 23, 94–112. https://doi.org/10.1037/met0000137

Yoon, M., & Lai, M. H. C. (2018). Testing factorial invariance with unbalanced samples. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 25, 201–213. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2017.1387859

Clemens, N. H., Lai, M. H. C., Burke, M. D., & Wu, J. (2017). Interrelations of growth in letter naming and sound fluency in kindergarten and implications for subsequent reading fluency. School Psychology Review, 46, 272–287. https://doi.org/10.17105/SPR-2017-0032.V46-3

Lai, M. H. C., & *Zhang, J. (2017). Evaluating fit indices for multivariate t-based structural equation modeling with data contamination. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01286

Lai, M. H. C., Kwok, O., Yoon, M., & *Hsiao, Y. (2017). Understanding the impact of partial factorial invariance on selection accuracy: An R script. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 24, 783–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2017.1318703

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., Yu, S., Lau, J. T. F., & Lei, M.-w. (2017). Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire: Its psychometric properties and correlation with Internet gaming disorder symptoms among Chinese people. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 6, 11–20. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.6.2017.007

Lai, M. H. C., & Kwok, O. (2016). Estimating standardized effect sizes for two-and three-level partially nested data. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 51, 740–756.  https://doi.org/10.1080/00273171.2016.1231606

Wu, A. M. S., & Lai, M. H. C., Tong, K., & Yu, M. S. (2016). Psychological correlates of disordered gambling tendencies among Chinese high school and undergraduate students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 14, 322–336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-016-9632-z

Lai, M. H. C. & Kwok, O. (2015). Examining the rule of thumb of not using multilevel modeling: The “design effect smaller than two rule”. Journal of Experimental Education, 83, 423–438. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2014.907229

Lai, M. H. C., Wu, A. M. S., & Tong, K. (2015). Validation of the Gambling Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Chinese undergraduate students. Journal of Gambling Studies, 31, 243–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-013-9412-7

Lai, M. H. C. & Yoon, M. (2015). A modified comparative fit index for factorial invariance studies. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 22, 236–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.935928

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., & Tong, K. (2015). Internet gambling among community adults and university students in Macao. Journal of Gambling Studies, 31, 643–657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-014-9451-8

Lai, M. H. C. & Kwok, O. (2014). Standardized mean differences in two-level cross-classified random effect models. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, 39, 282–302. https://doi.org/10.3102/1076998614532950

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., & Chan, I. T. (2014). Coaching behaviors, satisfaction of needs, and intrinsic motivation among Chinese university athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26, 334–348. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2014.888107

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., & Tong, K. (2014). Gambling Disorder: Estimated prevalence rates and risk factors in Macao. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 28, 1190–1197. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037603

Lai, M. H. C., Ren, M. Y. W., Wu, A. M. S., & Hung, E. P. W. (2013). Motivation as mediator between national identity and intention to volunteer. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 23, 128–142. https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.2108

Wu, A. M. S., Lai, M. H. C., Tong, K., & Tao, V. Y. K. (2013). Chinese attitudes, norms, behavioral control and gambling involvement in Macao. Journal of Gambling Studies, 29, 749–763. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-012-9344-7

• Empowering Latinx and Black Youth with School Discipline Referrals as Peer Coaches (PI Huey; Consultant Lai). William T. Grant Foundation. 2025 Jul 1–2028 Jun 30.
• Ambulatory phenotyping with real-time indices of discordant affect regulation: Exploring opportunities for targeted intervention in depression (PI Stange; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2023 Jul 6–2028 Jun 30.
• Inactivity, sedentary behavior, and the risk for Alzheimer’s disease in middle aged to older adults (PI Raichlen; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2022 Apr 1–2027 Mar 31.
• Examining the validity of the alcohol use disorder recovery construct using a between- and within-persons design (PI Richardson; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2022 Sep 1–2025 Aug 31.
• CAREER: Advancing Latent Variable Methods for Integrative Data Analysis (PI Lai). U.S. National Science Foundation. 2022 Aug 15–2027 July.
• Finance, Cognition, and Default Network in Aging (PI Han; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2021 May 1–2026 April 30.
• The Impact of Ignoring Parameter Uncertainty on Sample-Size Planning for Cluster-Randomized and Multisite Randomized Trials (PI Lai). Spencer Foundation. 2021 Jan 1–2022 Dec 31.
• Developing a Multidimensional Psychometric Framework on the Impact of Item Bias on Classification (PI Lai). U.S. Department of Defense, Army Research Institute. 2020 Aug 7–2022 Aug 6.
• Evaluation of “Identity-Based Motivation Journey to Academic Success” (PI Lai). University of Southern California. 2018 Aug 1–2020 Dec 31.
• Secondary Data Analysis of Effective TPP Programs: Setting, Youth Context, and Characteristics (PI Clark; Subcontract PI Lai). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs. 2020 Sep 30–2021 Sep 29.
• Prenatal Social Connection and Disruption During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Maternal and Infant Health (PI Saxbe; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2021 Jun 1–2026 Jan 31.
• Alcohol metabolism and disease risk in Asians: Examining the impact of personalized phenotypic/genotypic feedback and motivational processes on early drinking trajectories (PI Luczak; Co-I Lai). National Institutes of Health. 2021 May 1–2023 Apr 30.
• Music Training, Bilingualism and Executive Functioning (PI Habibi). National Institutes of Health. 2019 Sep 15–2021 Aug 31.

• Outstanding Reviewer, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics
• Distinguished Honor Graduate, College of Education and Human Development, Texas A&M University
• Postgraduate Scholarships, Macao Tertiary Education Services Office
• Rector’s Honor List, University of Macau