title: Assessing differential effects: applying regression mixture models to identify variations in the influence of family resources on academic achievement.
abstract: Developmental scientists frequently seek to understand effects of environmental contexts on development. Traditional analytic strategies assume similar environmental effects for all children, sometimes exploring possible moderating influences or exceptions (e.g., outliers) as a secondary step. These strategies are poorly matched to ecological models of human development that posit complex individual by environment interactions. An alternative conceptual framework is proposed that tests the hypothesis that the environment has differential (nonuniform) effects on children. A demonstration of the utility of this framework is provided by examining the effects of family resources on children's academic outcomes in a multisite study (N = 6,305). Three distinctive groups of children were identified, including 1 group particularly resilient to influence of low levels of family resources. Predictors of group differences including parenting and child demographics are tested, the replicability of the results are examined, and findings are contrasted with those obtained with traditional regression interaction effects. This approach is proposed as a partial solution to advance theories of the environment, social ecological systems research, and behavioral genetics to create well-tailored environments for children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Barnwell College, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. vanhorn@sc.edu
authors.forename: M Lee
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Van Horn
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jaki
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masyn
authors.forename: Sharon Landesman
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ramey
authors.forename: Jessalyn A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antaramian
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
references.citation: Child Dev. 2001 Jan-Feb;72(1):318-36
references.pmid: 11280487
references.citation: Child Dev. 1992 Jun;63(3):573-82
references.pmid: 1600823
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Mar;39(2):189-200
references.pmid: 12661881
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2005 Nov;41(6):933-52
references.pmid: 16351338
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 1999 Winter;11(1):143-69
references.pmid: 10208360
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1998 Feb;53(2):185-204
references.pmid: 9491747
references.citation: Int J Epidemiol. 2002 Apr;31(2):422-9
references.pmid: 11980807
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 1997 Spring;9(2):291-319
references.pmid: 9201446
references.citation: Psychol Methods. 2004 Mar;9(1):3-29
references.pmid: 15053717
references.citation: Biometrics. 1999 Jun;55(2):463-9
references.pmid: 11318201
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 1998 Spring;10(2):143-64
references.pmid: 9635219
references.citation: Child Care Health Dev. 1987 Mar-Apr;13(2):111-25
references.pmid: 3581439
references.citation: Am Psychol. 2000 Feb;55(2):218-32
references.pmid: 10717969
references.citation: Future Child. 1997 Summer-Fall;7(2):55-71
references.pmid: 9299837
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 1955 Jul;52(4):281-302
references.pmid: 13245896
references.citation: Dev Psychopathol. 1997 Spring;9(2):193-9
references.pmid: 9201442
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Nov;39(6):1020-35
references.pmid: 14584982
references.citation: Stat Med. 1993 Jul 15;12(13):1259-68
references.pmid: 8210825
references.citation: Am Psychol. 1998 Feb;53(2):205-20
references.pmid: 9491748
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 1997 Nov;33(6):1000-11
references.pmid: 9383622
references.citation: Psychol Methods. 2006 Mar;11(1):36-53
references.pmid: 16594766
references.citation: Child Dev. 1998 Jun;69(3):803-16
references.pmid: 9680686
references.citation: Psychol Methods. 2003 Sep;8(3):369-77; discussion 384-93
references.pmid: 14596497
references.citation: J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986 Dec;51(6):1173-82
references.pmid: 3806354