Methodological Research

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Methodologists are researchers who both have their own line of methodological research and who collaborate with other faculty to apply those methods.  They also support the broad research-based mission of the University. The Methodology Group @ UNM aims to assist faculty and graduate students whose work is reflective of these dual roles of methodologists. Our researchers study the use of quantitative (and possibly qualitative) methods that have broad application to the social sciences.

Our methodological researchers are:

  • M. Lee Van Horn. Lee’s research focuses on statistical methods for identifying individual differences and for looking at contextual effects. He focuses on the use of multilevel models, finite mixture models (especially regression mixture models), and machine learning methods. See below some publications of Lee’s the methodological research:

Coulon, S. M., Wilson, D. K, Van Horn, M. L., Hand, G. A., & Kresovich, S. K. (In Press). Neighborhood gene-environment associations with cortisol and blood pressure: evidence for differential susceptibility in African-American adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Lamont, A. E.*, Van Horn, M. L., Hawkins, D. (2014). Context-dependent pathways of the transmission of risk from communities to individuals. American Journal of Community Psychology, Published online before print October 10, 2014. PMID: 25300758

Lamont, A.*, Van Horn, M. L. (2013). Heterogeneity in social skill development in early elementary school children. Social Development, 22, 384-405

Lawman*, H. G., Wilson, D. K., Van Horn, M. L., & Zarrett, N. (2012). The role of motivation in understanding social contextual influences on physical activity in underserved adolescents in the ACT Trial: A cross-sectional study. Childhood Obesity, 8, 542-550. PMID:  23181920http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23181920

Van Horn, M. L., Jaki, T., Masyn, K., Ramey, S. L., Smith*, J., & Antaramian*, S. (2009). Assessing differential effects: Applying regression mixture models to identify variations in the influence of family resources on academic achievement. Developmental Psychology, 45, 1298-1313. PMID: 19702393 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702393

Van Horn, M. L., Karlin, E. D.*, Ramey, S. L., Wetter, E. (2012). Effects of developmentally appropriate practices on social skills and problem behaviors in first through third grades. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 26, 18-39. Received an Honorable Mention by the Journal of Research in Childhood Education Distinguished Education Research Article Award Program.