Modeling Developmental Processes in Ecological Context
March 4-6, 2004 in Tempe, Arizona

The influence of families, peers, schools, neighborhoods, and communities is important to consider in the study of human development. Which methods are the best for representing and modeling ecological context? At this conference, statisticians, developmentalists, and quantitative scholars discussed ecological effects, such as:

• direct influences on development
• mediators and/or moderators of change
• nested hierarchical levels of influence
• dynamic systems.

Participants also discussed common methodological concerns, including:

• measurement issues
• incomplete data
• sample heterogeneity (a person-centered approach)
• power and sample size.

PHOTO GALLERY

Peg Barratt was a conference participant. At the National Science Foundation, she is Program Director for Developmental and Learning Sciences.

Co-sponsors: the National Science Foundation>>, the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, and the Merrill Advanced Studies Center at the University of Kansas

Conference organizers at the University of Kansas:

• Todd Little - Director, Research Design and Analysis Unit, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies & Associate Professor of Psychology
• Janet Marquis - Co-Director of the RDA Unit, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies
• James Bovaird - Research Associate, RDA Unit

Abstracts of conference presentations:

• Daniel Bauer (.pdf)
• Steven Boker (.pdf)
• Niall Bolger (.pdf)
• Patrick Curran (.pdf)
• Susan Embretson (.pdf)
• Donald Hedeker (.pdf)
• Scott Hofer (.pdf)
• Todd Little (.pdf)
• Bud MacCallum (.pdf)
• Jack McArdle (.pdf)
• Joe Rodgers (.pdf)
• Keith Widaman (.pdf)