Modeling Developmental Processes in Ecological Context

Mission Tempe Palms, Phoenix, AZ

March 4-6, 2004 

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

Conference organizers at the University of Kansas:

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

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

This event was co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, and the Merrill Advanced Studies Center at the University of Kansas.

Pictured below, standing, left to right: Donald Hedeker, David Francis, Jack McArdle, David Slegers, Scott Hofer, Kim Wilcox, Patrick Curran, Joy Simpson, Daniel Bauer, Steven Boker, Bud MacCallum, Sam Green, Susan Embretson, Steven Zubrick, Emily Ledford, Niall Bolger, Lesa Hoffman, Keith Widaman, Siek-Toon Khoo, Kate Taylor, David MacKinnon, Steve West, and Robert Barnhill. Seated: John Nesselroade, Duane Alwin, Steve Warren, Peg Barratt, Todd Little, Mabel Rice, Janet Marquis, Joe Rodgers, Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, and Jim Bovaird. 

Conference Abstracts

Pictured standing, left to right: Donald Hedeker, David Francis, Jack McArdle, David Slegers, Scott Hofer, Kim Wilcox, Patrick Curran, Joy Simpson, Daniel Bauer, Steven Boker, Bud MacCallum, Sam Green, Susan Embretson, Steven Zubrick, Emily Ledford, Niall Bolger, Lesa Hoffman, Keith Widaman, Siek-Toon Khoo, Kate Taylor, David MacKinnon, Steve West, Robert Barnhill. Seated: John Nesselroade, Duane Alwin, Steve Warren, Peg Barratt, Todd Little, Mabel Rice, Janet Marquis, Joe Rodgers, Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcet

Conference Participants

Presenters

  • Todd Little, Director, Research Design and Analysis Unit, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies
  • Duane Alwin, Pennsylvania State University
  • Daniel Bauer, North Carolina State University
  • Steven Boker, University of Notre Dame
  • Niall Bolger, New York University
  • Patrick J. Curran, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Susan Embretson, Professor of Psychology
  • David Francis, University of Houston
  • Sam Green, Arizona State University
  • Donald Hedeker, University of Illinois at Chicago
  • Scott Hofer, Pennsylvania State University
  • Robert MacCallum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • David MacKinnon, Arizona State University
  • Scott Maxwell, University of Notre Dame
  • Jack McArdle, University of Virginia
  • John Nesselroade, University of Virginia
  • Joe Rodgers, University of Oklahoma
  • Siek Toon Khoo, Arizona State University
  • Steve West, Arizona State University
  • Keith F. Widaman, University of California at Davis

Invited Guests

  • James Bovaird, Research Associate, KU Research Design and Analysis Unit
  • Lesa Hoffman, Pennsylvania State University
  • Emily Ledford, Advanced Statistical Methods Core, University of Kansas
  • Janet Marquis, Co-Director, KU Research Design and Analysis Unit, Life Span Institute
  • David Slegers, Director, KU Advanced Statistical Methods Core, Center for Biobehavioral Neurosciences in Communication Disorders
  • Kate Taylor, Telethon Institute of Child Health Research in Australia
  • Steve Zubrick, Institute for Child Health Research in Australia

Merrill Board Members

  • Robert Barnhill, Merrill Center Board of Directors
  • Kathleen McCluskey-Fawcett, Senior Vice Provost, University of Kansas
  • Mabel L. Rice, Director and Professor, Child Language Doctoral Program, and Director of the Merrill Advanced Studies Center
  • Richard Schiefelbusch, Merrill Center Board of Directors
  • Joy Simpson, Merrill Advanced Studies Center – meeting planner
  • Steven F. Warren, Director, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies, and Director, Kansas Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Center
  • Kim Wilcox, Merrill Center Board of Directors

Agenda

Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, Arizona

March 4-6, 2004

Thursday, March 4

Opening Reception

Dinner

Welcome

  • Mabel Rice, Director, Merrill Center, University of Kansas
  • Steve Warren, Director, Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies at the University of Kansas
  • Joe Rodgers, President, SMEP
  • Peg Barratt, National Science Foundation

Preview of the Conference and Opening Remarks

  • Todd Little, Director, Research Design and Analysis Unit at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Associate Professor of Psychology

Reception

Friday, March 5

Breakfast

Common Issues

Issue 1: Measurement

  • Susan Embretson, University of Kansas, “Psychometric Scale in Modeling Developmental Processes and Ecological Factors”

Issue 2: Missing Data

  • Scott Hofer, Pennsylvania State University, “Statistical Analysis with Incomplete Data in the Context of the Ecological Model”

Issue 3: Power and Sample Size

  • Bud MacCallum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Issues and Methods in Evaluating Differences between Models”

Discussion – Moderator, Todd Little

Break

Theme I: Ecological Factors as Direct Effects

  • Keith Widaman, University of California at Davis, “Intrauterine Environment Affects Infant and Child Outcomes: Environment as Direct Effect”
  • Niall Bolger, New York University, “Methods for Studying Processes of Support and Coping in Dyadic Relationships”
  • Jack McArdle, University of Virginia, “Longitudinal Dynamic Systems Analyses of Biometric Aspects of Adult Cognition”
  • Discussion – Moderator, Janet Marquis

Lunch

Breakouts Round 1

  • Discussion leaders: David Francis and Sam Green
  • Reports and Group Discussion

Break

Theme II: Ecological Factors as Indirect, Mediated Effects

  • Joe Rodgers, University of Oklahoma, “The Shape of Things to Come: When Developmental Curves Speak Clearly about the Nonlinear Dynamic Developmental Processes that Generate Them”
  • Steve Boker, University of Notre Dame, “Coupled Dynamics in Context: Is There Moderation in All Things?”
  • Patrick Curran, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Alternative Categorical Measurement Models for the Analysis of Individual Growth”
  • Discussion – Moderator, Jim Bovaird

Break

Breakouts Round 2

  • Discussion leaders: Duane Alwin and Dave MacKinnon
  • Reports and Group Discussion

Dinner

Saturday, March 6

Breakfast

Theme III: Ecological Factors as Moderating Effects 

  • Dan Bauer, North Carolina State University, “Person-Centered Approaches to Data Analysis”
  • Don Hedeker, University of Illinois at Chicago, “Mixed Models with Heterogeneous Variance: Applications in Smoking Research”
  • Todd Little, University of Kansas, “Mean and Covariance Structures (MACS) Models for the Study of Ecological Factors”
  • Discussion – Moderator, Janet Marquis

Break

Breakouts Round 3

  • Discussion leaders: John Nesselroade and Steve West
  • Reports and Group Discussion

Reactions and Future Directions – Moderator, Todd Little

Lunch and departure