Over nearly 30 years at NYU, I was interested in how can we learn about the causes and modifiers of human suffering when strong experimental methods are not ethical or feasible. One approach is to collect systematic observational data, and to attempt to identify structural relations among the variables. This approach is greatly aided by the development of sophisticated multivariate methods that allow variables to be controlled statistically in mathematical models of the human suffering and coping. However, such models are never perfect. They need constant scrutiny, critical appraisal, and further development. My research has been on the interface of developing methodology and substantive psychological questions in social psychology, specifically social support in intimate relationships. I am a past President of the American Psychopathological Association, and I organized the 2008 meeting around the theme of "Causal thinking and psychopathology research". I am also past President of the Society of Multivariate Experimental Psychology, a small research society that publishes the journal, Multivariate Behavioral Research.