The Psychology Department offers expertise in Quantitative and Computational Methods. The Quantitative and Computational Methods area focuses on innovating new experimental designs, methodologies, and statistical analyses for the purposes of studying complex human behavior. There is a growing need in today’s workforce for graduates who have strong quantitative and computational skills and our faculty are dedicated to providing formal and informal training to make our graduates competitive for jobs in academic, medical, governmental, and industry sectors. Faculty affiliates in the Quantitative and Computational Method’s area have expertise in a number of topics such as: psychometrics, item response theory, multilevel modeling, structural equation modeling, nonlinear time series analysis, computational modeling, dynamical systems theory, network analysis, and agent-based modeling. Faculty Drew Abney Drew Abney focuses on how behaviors and social interactions early in development impact developmental trajectories throughout infancy and into toddlerhood. Studies conducted in the lab use various techniques: from conducting controlled laboratory experiments to free-flowing toy play sessions to collecting daylong multimodal (e.g., vocalizations, body movements, etc.) behavioral data. In the lab, we are motivated to apply existing techniques from applied computational social science and dynamical systems theory and also develop new computational and analytic methods to understand the dynamics of development during infancy and early childhood. Program affiliation: Behavioral and Brain Sciences Developmental Dynamics Lab Neal Outland Neal Outland answers questions concerning the necessary qualities of individual team members and the optimal patterns of interaction for teams to follow for superior performance. He has two main research streams: one in which he explores how teams dynamically interact and perform in complex and dynamic environments such as sports; and another where he uses computer simulated teams as analogies to real human teams in a variety of contexts. Program affiliation: Industrial-Organizational Psychology Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo Allison Skinner-Dorkenoo studies how stereotypes, attitudes, biases, and prejudices are established, maintained, and facilitated through subtle nonverbal signals and contextual cues present in everyday life—and how these factors contribute to and reinforce systemic inequalities. To better understand these issues, the GABBA Lab examines these issues across the lifespan, among both children and adults. Program affiliation: Behavioral and Brain Sciences GABBA Lab
