Program Focus: The quantitative concentration focuses on the broad class of quantitative and methodological issues that arise in the conduct of both basic and applied psychological research. There are seven core faculty members in the Quantitative Concentration, of whom five are also affiliated with a substantive area. This dual affiliation supports the training of students of quantitative methods against a backdrop of methodological issues associated with the development of the substance of psychological science.

Research Activities: Faculty and doctoral students undertake methodological research of direct relevance to substantive psychology. New methodologies are developed and applied in three broad areas: (1) modern approaches to measurement of psychological constructs (e.g., Item Response Theory, latent variable models); (2) research design innovations (e.g., quasi-experimental designs with expanded concern for external validity; designs particularly suited to the evaluation of psychological interventions); and (3) data analysis techniques, including both those with established utility for psychological data (e.g., structural equation modeling) and those enjoying only recent or more rare use in psychology. Quantitative faculty currently have ongoing research programs in the development of statistical methodologies for mediational analysis, multi-level modeling, the evaluation of the performance of structural equation models under violations of assumptions, research design strategies under conditions of self-selection and attrition, cross-group measurement equivalence, measurement bias in psychological tests, testing and interpreting statistical interactions and the longitudinal growth modeling of psychological constructs.

Career Goals: The quantitative concentration is committed to training the next generation of psychological methodologists, who will make contributions in developing methods in the areas of measurement, design, and analysis, and to evaluating the utility of new and existing methods for use in psychological research. Graduates are prepared for faculty positions as quantitative psychologists in departments of psychology, for methodologist positions in large psychological research centers, and for positions in industry. Graduates of the program hold faculty positions at major research universities.

Admission and Training

Admission: Students are admitted directly to the Ph.D. program, with the expectation that the student will progress through a master's (M.A.) degree to the Ph.D.

Content of Training: Students receive a mix of training in quantitative methods and in substantive psychology, with the extent of substantive training, above and beyond quantitative training, dependent on the interest of the individual student. Within the Department of Psychology we offer the full complement of course work in analysis of variance and regression, multivariate analysis, structural equation modeling, modern measurement, experimental and quasi-experimental design, with additional more specialized training in topics of interest including regression graphics, meta-analysis, methods in prevention research, and longitudinal growth modeling. Additional quantitative course work is available in other departments on campus; cooperative arrangements with these departments are well established. The quantitative curriculum and program requirements are given below.

Method/substance Specializations: Within their programs of study, quantitative students may develop method/substance specializations that provide a unique combination of expertise in a substantive area coupled with intensive study of methodologies central to the substantive area. This option of method/substance specializations provides the opportunity to develop focused research career tracks within the broad area of quantitative methods. For example, prevention research in mental health and health is an area of strength within the psychology department, in which quantitative faculty are centrally involved; this leads to the possibility of specialization in prevention research methodology. Specializations in applied social research and developmental research are among the possibilities as well.

Advisement: With seven faculty and a small quantitative Ph.D. student body, there is ample and easy access to faculty mentors and research advisors. Further, there is great flexibility in that students may work with a variety of faculty during the course of their training

Research Experience: Quantitative students participate in research throughout their graduate careers to help foster an active record of publication while in graduate school. Research experience is gleaned through the master's thesis and dissertation (see milestones below). In addition, students may participate in research independent of the master's thesis and dissertation in collaboration with a variety of faculty members.

Computing Experience: Training in statistical computing is both formal, in quantitative classes, and informal, in conjunction with the research projects. Special computing approaches (e.g., simulation), are learned through work with the research advisor, often as part of the master's thesis or dissertation (see milestones below).

Teaching Experience: Students may gain teaching experience by serving as teaching assistants in a progression of undergraduate, introductory graduate, and advanced graduate courses, under the supervision of quantitative faculty who are teaching the course. As a capstone experience, students then often teach their own sections of a course, under the supervision of a quantitative faculty member.

Financial Support There is ample pre-doctoral financial support for quantitative students, both for teaching and research activities, and ample training opportunities associated with these activities. Students can expect financial support throughout their training. Quantitative students are in very high demand by faculty to work in their laboratories as quantitative/computing experts. The federally funded National Institute of Mental Health Prevention Intervention Research Center, in which several quantitative faculty are core investigators, provides substantial opportunities for experience in the analysis of large scale social science data sets. Other, large scale externally funded research programs housed within Psychology provide additional opportunities. Teaching experience is highly desirable as a job qualification for academic positions. Further, experience in the handling of large scale data sets is also highly desirable as a job qualification.

Program Milestones

Milestones in the program include (1) a master's thesis, (2) a comprehensive paper, and (3) the doctoral dissertation.

Master's Thesis: The master's thesis is typically undertaken in the second year. It is an original piece of research, closely supervised by the research advisor. The student defends the thesis before a committee consisting of his or her advisor and two additional faculty members. The thesis leads to the M.A. degree. The master's degree also requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit.

Comprehensive Paper and Examination : Near the end of completion of course work, students concentrate much of their effort on the development of a written comprehensive paper. This paper is typically a scholarly review of a substantial area of methodology (e.g., longitudinal growth modeling, survival analysis), plus discussion of issues and future directions. The student, in the process of developing the paper, becomes an expert in the area. The paper is often the basis of the doctoral dissertation. Again, the student works in close conjunction with a research advisor, as well as with three additional faculty members, the four of whom constitute a comprehensive examination committee. The student defends the comprehensive paper before this committee; this defense constitutes the comprehensive examination. There is no other comprehensive written examination.

Doctoral Dissertation : The doctoral dissertation is an extensive piece of original research which demonstrates the capability of the student to act as an independent scholar in quantitative methods. The dissertation is closely supervised by the research advisor and three additional faculty members, who constitute the dissertation committee. The dissertation process begins with the dissertation proposal, a written document that provides a comprehensive scholarly introduction to the research and a complete description of the research to be undertaken. It is defended before a dissertation committee. Once the oral defense of the dissertation proposal is completed, the student is admitted to Ph.D. candidacy by the Graduate College. The research proposed must make an original contribution to knowledge in the field of psychology. The dissertation itself serves to demonstrate student's proficiency as an independent investigator. Defense of the dissertation is a two-stage process. First, the psychology department requires a "data meeting," a working meeting in which the empirical and/or analytical outcomes are reviewed by the whole committee. Any further needed work is discussed. Successful completion of this meeting is required before the student prepares the final dissertation. The student then defends the dissertation in a final oral examination. The interim step of the data meeting, unique among psychology departments, helps greatly to assure that the dissertation that is presented for final defense is adequate for approval.

COMPUTING FACILITIES

The Department of Psychology houses a modern networked computing laboratory. In addition, the university provides access to a Unix-based mainframe cluster, which is available to all faculty. All students receive their own research computing and e-mail accounts. All computing is free--there are no charges for computing time.

FACULTY OF THE QUANTITATIVE CONCENTRATION

Leona Aiken, B.S., Virginia Commonwealth University, 1965; Ph.D. Purdue University, 1970. Methodological interests: Interactions in multiple regression analysis; design innovations (e.g., retrospective pretests in program evaluation, utilization of multiple designs in common settings to estimate treatment effect sizes). Substantive interests: Health psychology, prevention interventions to enhance women's health. Associate Editor, American Psychologist.

Sanford Braver, B.A., Wayne State University, 1965; Ph.D. University of Michigan, 1971. Methodological Interests: Research designs that optimize generalizability; statistical approaches to detecting mediation; time series analyses; issues regarding missing data or self-selection biases; experimental designs for field settings; mutually canceling effects in research. Substantive interests: Family psychology, prevention research, fathering behaviors, conflict resolution.

Craig Enders, B.A., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1991; Ph.D, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1999. Methodological Interests: missing data, longitudinal modeling, and growth mixture modeling. Associate Editor: Journal of School Psychology.

George Knight, B.A., Macalester College, 1972; Ph.D., University of California, Riverside, 1980. Methodological interests: Cross-ethnic and cross-race measurement equivalence, research methods, multiple regression, and meta-analysis. Substantive interests: prosocial behavior; development of cooperative, competitive and individualistic behavioral styles; cross-cultural issues; and the development of ethnic identity in Mexican American children.

David MacKinnon, B.A., Harvard University, 1979; Ph.D, University of California, Los Angeles, 1986. Methodological Interests: Statistical methods in prevention research; development and application of mediation analysis; analysis of variance and categorical data analysis methods. Substantive interests: Effects of warnings on behavior, applied cognitive psychology, and the mechanisms by which prevention programs are effective.

Roger Millsap, B.S., University of Washington, 1977; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1983. Methodological Interests: Measurement bias in psychological tests; latent variable models; methods for multitrait-multimethod data; factor and component analysis; longitudinal data analysis. Substantive interests: group differences in test performance; cognitive models in test performance; developmental research in personality; industrial/organizational psychology. Editor: Multivariate Behavioral Research.

Stephen West, B.A., Cornell University, 1967; Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin, 1972. Methodological interests: Field research methods, structural equation modeling, multiple regression analysis, mediational analysis, graphics and exploratory data analysis, time series analysis. Substantive interests: personality research, applied social psychology, particularly prevention related issues in health, mental health, and substance abuse. Editor: Psychological Methods.

QUANTITATIVE CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The quantitative curriculum is structured into a series of progressively more advanced courses. New quantitative/methodological courses may be implemented under an omnibus number (Psychology 591) at the interest of the faculty. The list below includes our current offerings.

A. Required Courses (seven courses, 21 credits)

1. Psychology 530: Analysis of Variance

2. Psychology 531: Multiple Regression Analysis

3. Psychology 532: Analysis of Multivariate Data

4. Psychology 533 Structural Equation Modeling

5. Psychology 534: Psychometric Methods 

6. Psychology 555: Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs 

7. Psychology 591: Quantitative Seminar

B. Psychological Methodology Electives (three courses, nine credits) 

8. Psychology 591: Multivariate Analysis of Variance

9. Psychology 539,540:Meta-Analysis

10. Psychology 591: Advanced Regression and Graphics

11. Psychology 536: Methods in Prevention Research

12. Psychology 591: Item Response Theory

13. Psychology 537: Longitudinal Growth Modeling

14. Psychology 538: Advanced SEM

In addition to the courses listed above, elective quantitative courses may be taken outside the Department of Psychology, from across the university. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, categorical data analysis, econometrics, time series analysis, exploratory data analysis, epidemiology, survey sampling, mixed models.

C. Substantive Coursework (two courses, six credits)

Students are expected to take two courses in a substantive area of psychology, of which one may be a research methods course in a substantive area.

D. Additional substantive or methodological electives (two courses, six credits)

These include readings and conferences, special research topics (two courses, six credits). Courses listed under B. above may count in this category.

E. Master's thesis, Psychology 592 (six credits)

F. Post-Master's Research, Psychology 792 (12 credits)

G. Dissertation, Psychology 799 (24 credits) 

Total: 84 credits

How to Apply

All application materials are to be postmarked by January 5. 

A. Complete the online ASU Graduate College Application

The ASU Graduate College Application is available online at http://graduate.asu.edu/admissions.

1. Have one copy of your official transcript of all previous undergraduate and graduate studies forwarded to:

APPLICATION
Graduate College
Arizona State University
Interdisciplinary B-Wing
Room 170
PO Box 871003
Tempe, AZ 85287-1003

2. Have your official GRE scores forwarded to the above address by ETS.

Additional information about how and where to have transcripts and test scores forwarded is available online from the ASU Graduate College Admission Checklist web page.

B. Send the following materials to:

Coordinator of Graduate Admissions
Department of Psychology
Arizona State University
P.O. Box 871104
Tempe, AZ 85287-1104

1. Three letters of recommendation. We prefer that at least two of the letters be written by persons within the academic community. If you have been away from school for some time, letters from non-academic professionals are acceptable.

2. A brief statement of purpose (900 words or less), describing your prior research training, professional goals, and the fit between your academic interests and our training program's emphases.

3. The enclosed applicant response form.

4. One copy of your official transcript of ALL your previous undergraduate and graduate study.

NOTE: The Department values diversity among its graduate students!