Overview
As a discipline, Quantitative Psychology encompasses research on applied statistics and methodology, mathematical models of behavior, as well as philosophy of science. Quantitative research ranges from purely mathematical to sophisticated applied work in a particular substantive domain.
Some broad examples of questions encountered in Quantitative Psychology are:
- How is the conceptualization of a psychological construct operationalized and measured?
- Does a specific system of equations and distributions reproduce obtained data sufficiently well?
- How well do the assumptions underlying a statistical model correspond to a class of research problems?
- What novel hypotheses does a new analytic technique allow one to pose?
Our Ph.D. program is highly selective and interdisciplinary. It also provides a great degree of flexibility, allowing one to tailor the program of study to her or his goals and interests. In addition to the resources and expertise within the Psychology Department, University of Washington offers outstanding opportunities in statistics, mathematics, computation and modeling. Student are encouraged to immerse themselves in the broader UW environment.