Pre-conference workshops
I. Advances in data analytic strategies for the study of close relationships and social groups
Professor William Burk, Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University
Senior Assistant Noona Kiuru, Department of Psychology University of Jyväskylä
Interdependence, a central feature of close relationships, presents contemporary researchers with several theoretical and statistical challenges. This one day workshop is designed to provide attendees with an overview of methodological techniques specifically designed to accommodate relational and structural interdependencies inherent in data of dyadic relationships and groups.
Three lectures are planned. Each lecture will present conceptual issues and illustrate specific methods for concurrent and longitudinal data using empirical applications. The first lecture will focus on dyadic data and outline correlational and regression-based methods for data distinguishable (e.g., parent-child relationships) and indistinguishable dyads (e.g., same-sex friendships). The second lecture will focus on interdependencies in group-level data. Specifically, multi-level modeling techniques are described for instances in which individuals are nested within groups (i.e., classrooms and cliques). The third lecture will describe social network methods, which are most appropriate for instances when dyads are embedded within a multitude of interconnected social relations (e.g., friendship networks). This lecture will focus on actor-based models, which are implemented in the SIENA software program. The first and third lectures will be presented by William Burk (Radboud University Nijmegen); the second lecture will be presented by Noona Kiuru (University of Jyväskylä). The final session of the workshop will include an interactive discussion period led by both presenters, which will be directed toward addressing issues participants may encounter with their own specific data and research interests.
Participants are not expected to have advanced statistical training, but a general understanding of basic statistical concepts will be assumed.
Preliminary workshop program
9:00 - 10:30 Nonindependence in dyadic data: An introduction to methods for disentangling shared and unique views of close relationship partners
10:30 - 10:45 Coffee break
10:45 - 12:00 Nonindependence in group-level data: An introduction to multilevel modeling techniques
12:00 - 13:15 Lunch
13:15 - 15:00 Longitudinal modeling of social network data: Network-behavioral dynamics in SIENA
15:00 - 15:15 Coffee break
15:15 - 17:00 Interactive discussion session
II. Practical Strategies to Improve Your Scientific Writing
Professor Margaret Kerr, Center for Developmental Research, Orebro University
PLEASE NOTE, that due to health problems of Prof. M. Kerr, this workshop has been cancelled. We apologize all registered participants and advice to attend the workshop by Prof. W. Burk and N. Kiuru. For workshop replacement and related questions please contact EARA Secretariat at info@eara2010.eu.
Communication is an important part of science-probably more important than any of us realize. The most elegant designs and interesting results will remain unpublished unless they are communicated in a way that other researchers find convincing. The ability to communicate convincingly does not come by accident. It must be nurtured.
In this workshop, you will learn some basic principles for clear, direct writing of journal articles in psychology. The emphasis will be on practical strategies that you can put into practice right away. By the end of this workshop, you will be on the way to producing clearer, more convincing journal articles.
Major topics to be covered during the day:
1. Paragraphs: The building blocks
2. The logical development of the article as a whole
3. Guidelines for clear, powerful writing
4. Common reviewer criticisms and how to avoid them
