MSU Department of Psychology

 

Concentration in Quantitative Methodology and Evaluation Science (QMES)

 

 

The MSU Department of Psychology offers a graduate Concentration in Quantitative Methodology and Evaluation Science (QMES). This Concentration is a qualification above and beyond students’ specializations in the Department of Psychology’s Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical, Cognition, Ecological/Community, Industrial/Organizational, and Social/Personality.

 

The Importance of Advanced Training in Quantitative Methodology and Evaluation Science:

 

Methodological and statistical expertise is an important skill set for students to develop in light of the increasing complexity of empirical social science research.  This knowledge is necessary for adequate data analysis and interpretation of research results as well as for publication and dissemination of research results.  In addition, quantitative and methodological expertise is a critical component in successful grant applications.  Methodologists can also serve as consultants to research projects in academic and applied settings on issues of design, data analysis, and presentation and dissemination of results. Consultation is particularly effective if the methodologist can provide expertise in methods and statistics as well as in the substantive focus of the study.  Students with training in consultation, methodology, and a substantive discipline will have a unique profile that will make them competitive for employment in both academic and non-academic settings.  Given the increasing demand for methodological expertise across a variety of settings, the Department of Psychology offers advanced graduate training through a Concentration in Quantitative Methodology and Evaluation Science (QMES).

 

Goals of the QMES Concentration:

 

The Concentration has been designed to achieve four primary goals:

 

1)      Recruit graduate students with strong backgrounds and interests in statistics and program evaluation.

 

2)      Develop students’ expertise in a variety of statistical and evaluative methods.

 

3)      Develop students’ capacities for independent scholarship and publishing in quantitative methods and evaluation science

 

4)      Create and maintain an intellectually stimulating environment for students and faculty regarding the scholarship of quantitative methods and evaluation science.

 

 

 

 

Who is Eligible for the QMES Concentration?

 

The QMES Concentration is open only to psychology graduate students.  To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in a MSU Ph.D. program or masters-to-Ph.D. program.  Students must apply for admission to the QMES Concentration by submitting an application to the Concentration Chairperson. 

The Structure of the QMES Concentration:

To earn a Concentration in Quantitative Methodology and Evaluation Science, students must complete two prerequisite courses, three advanced training courses, and one student-developed project under the supervision of two members of the QMES faculty.

 

Prerequisite courses:  Student must complete PSY 815, Quantitative Research Design and Analysis in Psychology and PSY 818, Psychometric Theory and Test Construction and receive a grade of 4.0 in both classes prior to applying for the QMES Concentration.  Students who have taken equivalent courses and received a 4.0 in those courses may request a waiver of the prerequisites from the QMES Chairperson.

 

Advanced training courses:  Students must complete three courses for the QMES Concentration.  One course must be an applied research methods course or program evaluation course.  PSY 865, Applied Research Methods or PSY 992, Program Evaluation will satisfy this requirement.  Alternative courses must be approved by the QMES Concentration Chairperson.  Two additional courses must be taken in advanced quantitative statistical techniques.  Typically, these courses will be offered as sections of PSY 992 in topical areas such as multivariate design, general linear model, structural equations modeling, categorical data analysis, longitudinal data analysis, meta-analysis, regression methods, cluster analysis, configural frequency analysis, and longitudinal data analysis. On average 3 of these courses are offered every year.  The QMES Concentration Chairperson must approve course selections for the advanced training component.

 

Student-developed project:  In addition to the required course work, students must conduct an independent project on a topic reflecting their interests in quantitative methods and/or evaluation science.  This project can be done at any time once the student has enrolled in the QMES Concentration. This project is conducted in addition to the comprehensive exam requirements from the student’s interest group.  One member of the QMES faculty must supervise the proposed project and a second QMES member must serve as a consulting advisor to the project.  The student must submit a written proposal that outlines the goals of the project, methods, timelines, and deliverables to the two QMES faculty (a proposal meeting is not required).  Both QMES faculty members must formally approve the project before the student can begin work.  The final product must be approved in writing by both QMES faculty (a defense is not required).  The approved final project must be filed with the QMES Concentration Chairperson.  Options for the student-developed project include:

 

 

 

Option

Brief Description

Scholarly paper

For this option, students will write a comprehensive paper on a quantitative method or evaluation science issue, such as those published in Psychological Methods or the American Journal of Evaluation.

 

Professional practice

For this option, students will conduct a field-based consultation project in program evaluation or quantitative methods under the supervision of the QMES faculty. QMES faculty will attend at least one meeting with the field consultation group.

 

Undergraduate teaching

For this option, students will teach a quantitative methods or evaluation science course (e.g., PSY 295) with a structured format including: syllabus, readings, supplemental materials, homework assignments, presentation materials, lecture notes, examinations, and instructor reflection of each lecture experience.  QMES faculty members will also attend at least three lectures.

 

 

QMES Application for Current Psychology Graduate Students

QMES Core Faculty

 

Ryan Bowles, Ph.D.  (University of Virginia, 2006).  Current research interests include measurement and change, longitudinal analyses, item response models, Rasch measurement, cognitive aging, working memory and reasoning, and vocabulary knowledge.

 

Rebecca Campbell, Ph.D. (Michigan State University, 1996).  Current research interests include community-based program evaluation of violence against women social service organizations and other non-profit human service groups, mixed methods designs that use qualitative and quantitative methods in field settings, and feminist research methods.

 

Richard DeShon, Ph.D. (University of Akron, 1993).  Current research interests include selection and assessment, motivational determinants of learning and performance in work settings, goal setting and self regulation of behavior in the workplace, performance and abilities measurement, and quantitative methods.

 

Pennie Foster-Fishman, Ph.D.  (University of Illinois at Chicago, 1994).  Current research interests include organizational and community development and change, multiple stakeholder collaboration and group decision-making, advocacy and empowerment, organizational culture, and collaborative research and qualitative research methodologies

 

Deborah Kashy, Ph.D. (University of Connecticut, 1991).  Current methodological interests include models of nonindependent data including models of dyadic interaction, models of family relationships, and multilevel models.  Her substantive research interests include the interdependence between individuals involved in close relationships, interpersonal perception, and intergroup behavior. 

Robin Lin Miller, Ph.D. (New York University, 1994). Current research interests include technology transfer processes, AIDS community-based organizations, HIV prevention, gay men of color, program evaluation, and research methods.

Neal Schmitt, Ph.D. (Purdue University, 1972). Current research interests include personnel selection and subgroup differences in measured ability.  Dr. Schmitt has conducted studies and provided consultation on a variety of statistical methods including regression analysis, item response theory, and structural equation modeling.

 

Alexander von Eye, Ph.D. (University of Trier, Germany, 1976). Current research interests include methods for the analysis of categorical data and longitudinal data. In addition, Dr. von Eye conducts simulation studies and works in the areas of classification methods and structural equations modeling. In the center of his interest are Configural Frequency Analysis, a method for typal search in cross-classifications, the study of characteristics of statistical tests under adverse conditions, and the custom-tailored application of log-linear models to questions of importance to the social sciences.