Quantitative psychology deals with the use of various methods and techniques for the purpose of being able to measure human traits and other aspects. If you would want to be a quantitative psychologist, some of the skills that you should learn include statistical modeling and research design, which will be basically used for the assessment of human behavior. This branch of psychology is also basically concerned about the evaluation of all the mechanics of human behavior, as well as the use of mathematics and statistics in order to quantify the theories and findings from the research completed.
Overview
Quantitative psychologists engage in an attempt to develop new methods to research human behavior. In addition, they also test methods that already exist in order to verify its applications to various environments. There are two major stratification that are used in this study: psychometrics and mathematical psychology. Psychometrics refers to the development of techniques through which human behavior can be measured. Some of the techniques that are used in psychometrics include surveys and interviews. On the other hand, mathematical psychology refers to the narration of psychological processes that are expressed in the universal language of mathematics. Some of the ways at which such is done include the measurement of the frequency of behavior or the development of timeline.
Degree Programs
In order to become a quantitative psychologist, there is a need for you to have a strong knowledge base in the areas of math and statistics, as well as the fundamentals of psychology.
One of the basic requirements in this branch of psychology would be a bachelor’s degree. At the college level, you will be trained in quantitative methodology with psychological perspective. You will be required to take a minor in engineering psychology, cognitive aging, or other relevant fields of psychology. You will need to complete a fellowship and practice the research methods and techniques learned in different courses while being supervised by a licensed psychologist. Some of the subjects that you will take during this level would include Item Response Theory, Psychometric Methods, Structural Equation Modeling, and factor Analysis, among others.
More so, you might also want to consider taking master’s degree in psychology with emphasis on quantitative techniques. This will provide you with a more elaborate knowledge on applied statistics, applied measurement, and program evaluation. This will be a major requirement for you to be accepted for a study in the doctoral program.
The doctoral program is the most extensive level of education in this field. It will give you an orientation on program assessment, measurement, statistics, and evaluation. It will also enhance all of the things that you have learned in the previous levels. To successfully complete this program, you will need to complete your own dissertation.
Career Opportunities
Quantitative psychologists can be employed in fields that require extensive research and analysis. Pursuing a degree in this area may land you a job in the field of commerce, specifically in being responsible for the improvement of the productivity of workers. In the field of human resource management, you might be engaged n the development of techniques for interviewing applicants, such as the questionnaires and the entry examinations that will be used to screen them.
You can also build a career in pure research. This will open doors for designing new techniques that will help in the study of human behavior. You can also be employed in government institutions and other regulating agencies. At these institutions, you can be engaged in the assessment of the living conditions of the general population, including the environment at which they live.
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