Machine Learning for Social and Behavioral Research

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In this day and age, we interact with many data collection tools. From swiping loyalty cards in the supermarket, movie recommendations by Netflix, or taking driving directions from a GPS, we are leaving a data footprint almost every day. Machine learning algorithms could help us go from raw datasets to valuable information. Machine learning has recently emerged as a major area of statistical research and is making its way into psychology. This course is an introductory seminar on the theory and application of machine learning to data analysis. A lot of research in psychology has focused on hypothesis-driven, explanatory approaches to data analysis. Machine learning could supplement a researcher’s analytic toolbox to explore patterns in datasets and assess the predictive value of various combinations of variables on several outcomes.