We varied this general procedure, taking a more thorough approach. Specifically, we conducted LCGA for all 1,089 permutations of linear, quadratic, and cubic growth 2-, 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-class models, stopping only when group size dropped to below 1%. Both LMR-LRT and BLRT tests consistently preferred higher-class models, with the 6-class model fitting best. Next, we conducted 1,089 GMM analyses with intercepts freed for all models, again stopping when group size dropped below 1%. As before, higher-class models were preferred, with the 6-class model fitting best. We then repeated the 1,089 GMM analyses, allowing each class to have its own unique intercept variance, with the same results. To rule out the possibility that solutions were local, the seed values associated with the two best log-likelihood values from each GMM output were used in a subsequent reanalysis. Global solutions from successfully converged models had the best log-likelihood values repeated at least twice.36
