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Areas of Focus

We feature research training Developmental PsychologyHealth Psychology, and Quantitative Methods, Measurement, and Statistics

We have chosen to focus on these three areas in part because of their synergistic connections: health and developmental psychology share an overlapping focus on the healthy development of individuals, and both make extensive use of advanced quantitative methods. Health and developmental psychology are also well-equipped to inform about the significant issues present in the San Joaquin Valley, the 8-county region in California in which UC Merced is located.

Moreover, health psychology and quantitative psychology are growing in importance in psychological sciences, yet they are relatively poorly represented in PhD programs nationwide: According to the APA, there are only 8 health psychology PhD programs and 18 quantitative psychology PhD programs in the U.S.

Updated 2021