Final answer:
Psychometrics is the branch of psychology that deals with the quantitative measurement of psychological variables, using statistical methods and empirical data to understand behavior and underlying cognitive and biological processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Psychometrics is a branch of psychology involved in the quantitative measurement of psychological variables.
This field leverages statistical methods to represent research collected in numerical form that can be counted, such as surveys with large numbers of participants, and it is vital in areas such as quantitative sociology.
Unlike some social sciences that tend more towards qualitative assessments, psychometrics focuses on empirical, measurable data to explain behavior and the cognitive and biological processes that underlie it.
Psychology, as a discipline, is the scientific study of mind and behavior, and students in this field learn to apply the scientific method, develop critical thinking skills, and to recognize the complexity of behavior.
Reliable and valid measurements are essential in psychometrics to ensure that the data accurately reflect the concepts being studied.