The Psychology Department has a strategic focus on training in advanced methodology, especially quantitative methods. Advanced quantitative skills are increasingly important in conducting state-of-the–art research, and in post-doctoral and academic placements. Recent and ongoing faculty searches have emphasized expertise in quantitative methods. In addition to a standard two-semester sequence in statistics (PSY 507 and PSY 508), students may choose courses in topics such as multi-level modeling, test theory, structural equation modeling, computational modeling, and other topics. A course in neuroscience methods (PSY 511) is offered annually. Other resources for students seeking training in advanced methodology include courses in other departments (Statistics, Human Development and Family Studies, Educational Psychology, Information Sciences and Technology) and workshops on specific methodological topics.
The Psychology Department was also a previous home to the journals Assessment (edited by Aaron Pincus, 2014-2018) and Organizational Research Methods (edited by James LeBreton, 2014-2017). It also participates in the Consortium for the Advancement of Research Methods and Analysis (CARMA), making short courses and a library of webcasts on methodological topics available to our students.
Resources for quantitative methods training:
Courses in Psychology
PSY 507 Analysis of Psychological Data I (annually in Fall)
PSY 508 Analysis of Psychological Data II (annually in Spring)
PSY 511 Neuroscience Methods (annually in Spring)
PSY 531 Multilevel Theory, Measurement, and Analysis (annually, usually in Spring)
PSY 511 MATLAB for Psychologists (periodically)
PSY 511 Reproducible Research Practices in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (periodically)
PSY 535 Research Methods in I/O Psychology (annually in Spring)
PSY 597 Introduction to Classical and Modern Test Theory (periodically)
PSY 597 Structural Equation Modeling (periodically)
PSY 597 Introduction to Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Management (periodically)
Courses in Other Departments
EDPSY 507 Multiple regression
EDPSY 597 Structural Equation Modeling
HDFS 517 Multivariate Statistics
HDFS 523 Strategies for Data Analysis in Developmental Research
HDFS 526 Measurement
HDFS 530 Longitudinal SEM
HDFS 534 Person-specific Data Analysis
HDFS 597 Data Mining
HDFS 597 Latent Class Analysis (Introduction; Advanced)
HDFS 597 Hierarchical Linear Modeling
HDFS 597 Bayesian Statistics
HDFS 597 Person-Specific Ecological Momentary Assessment
HDFS 597 Advanced LISREL
SODA 501 Approaches and Issues in Big Data Social Science
SOC 580 Social Network Analysis
STAT 501 Regression
STAT 557 Data Mining I
Software
The Department supports the use of SPSS, MPLUS, MATLAB, R, and Python.
Colloquia, Seminars, and Workshops
Center for Social Data Analytics (C-SoDA)
Annual R Bootcamp
Institute for CyberScience (ICS) seminars
Methodology Center training opportunities
Quantitative Developmental Systems Methodology Core
Faculty with quantitative methods research focus:
Jonathan Cook
Rick Gilmore
James LeBreton
Michelle Newman
Aaron Pincus