Mission and Values

The Quantitative Psychology Program has a long and distinguished history. The program’s origin is associated with the arrival of L.L. Thurstone at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 1952. Historically, Dr. Thurstone is a central figure in this field; responsible for great advances that moved psychology toward becoming a quantitative, rational science.

After a long career at the University of Chicago, Dr. Thurstone started at UNC and founded the Psychometric Laboratory, later renamed the L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory. The Quantitative Psychology graduate program evolved during subsequent years. Both our program and the Thurstone Lab are internationally known as a center for research and training in quantitative and statistical methods for psychological research.

Our graduate program’s mission is two-fold: to train students in the theory and application of quantitative methods for psychological research and to contribute to the development of new knowledge in the field of quantitative psychology. The program provides a rigorous curriculum, experience in teaching, and extensive training and experience in research.

Many of the activities of the Quantitative Psychology Program are supported by the L.L. Thurstone Psychometric Laboratory. The Thurstone Lab serves to obtain and manage resources to provide support to faculty and students, not through state funds, but through generous gifts and trust funds.