APA Dictionary of Psychology

a statistical representation that includes all of the variables of interest, or all of the main parameters (e.g., regression coefficients), among a set of variables. For example, in structural equation modeling, a full model might include estimated regression parameters between a set of independent variables, mediators, and dependent variables. When there are as many parameters estimated in a full model as there are degrees of freedom, it is said to be a saturated model. Also called unrestricted model.