Accounting for complexity in critical realist trials: the promise of PLS-SEM

Figures & data

Table 1. CPAO programme theory.

CPAO configurations	Contextual mechanism	Programme mechanism	Agential mechanisms	Outcome
CPAO	Amount of diabetic nursing EXPERIENCE required to complete exercise and understand complex diabetic concepts.	The use of VR to encourage direct ENGAGEMENT in a non-stressful environment than experienced in real-life encounters.	CONFIDENCE boosting via feedbacks. IMMERSION in VR	Improved KNOWLEDGE of complex diabetic issues

Figure 1. A simple pathway model showing both full and partial mediation of variables.

Table 2. MICOM results.

Summary of the MICOM via PLS-SEM results
MICOM Step 1 – Configural invariance
Configural invariance established? YES
MICOM Step 2 – Compositional invariance established- YES
Composite	Correlation c	5% quartile of the empirical distribution of cµ		P value	Compositional invariance established?
Confidence	0.993	0.842		0.876	Yes
Engage	0.969	0.874		0.497	Yes
Experience	0.975	0.506		0.860	Yes
Immerse	0.994	0.968		0.842	Yes
Knowledge	Singlet item measure – hence outer relationship is 1 by design.
MICOM Step 3 – Assessment of equality of composite means and variances
	Difference of the composites mean value (=0)		Permutation p value		Equal mean values?
Confidence	1.347		<0.001		No
Engage	1.224		<0.001		No
Experience	0.268		0.062		Yes
Immerse	−0.455		0.003		No
Knowledge	1.166		<0.001		No
	Logarithm of the composite’s variances ratio (=0)		Permutation p value		Equal variances?
Confidence	−0.694		<0.001		No
Engage	0.034		0.827		Yes
Experience	0.247		0.367		Yes
Immerse	0.003		0.992		Yes
Knowledge	0.248		0.179		Yes

Figure 2. Programme theory including theorized causal relations.

Data availability statement

Please contact the corresponding author to view the available data.