I am a PhD candidate under the supervision of prof. Dr. Ellen Hamaker. My PhD project is concerned with the development and evaluation of mathematical models to study developmental process and individual differences in developmental outcomes. Specifically, the interest in is in how different designs and statistical techniques can be used to allow for causal inferences.

The aim of the my project is to: a) investigate the extent to which (CID) research is based on a causal interest versus an interest in mere description and/or prediction; b) investigate how particular experimental designs that include mediation can be used to study causal relationships, but also what threats may exist in this context; c) investigate how diverse longitudinal models may align with research questions about the causal connection between developmental processes; and d) investigate how instrumental variables may be put to use in CID to allow for causal inference.

Photo by Hans-Peter van Velthoven, NPO Campus