Measurement in Psychology


Book Description

This book traces how such a seemingly immutable idea as measurement proved so debatable when it collided with the subject matter of psychology. This book addresses philosophical and social influences (such as scientism, practicalism, and Pythagoreanism) reshaping the concept of measurement and identifies a fundamental problem at the core of this reshaping: the issue of whether psychological attributes really are quantitative. The author argues that the idea of measurement now endorsed within psychology actually subverts attempts to establish a genuinely quantitative science, and he urges a new direction. This volume relates views on measurement by thinkers such as Hölder, Russell, Campbell, and Nagel to earlier views, like those of Euclid and Oresme. Within the history of psychology, it considers contributions by Fechner, Cattell, Thorndike, Stevens and Suppes, among others. It also contains a nontechnical exposition of conjoint measurement theory and recent foundational work by leading measurement theorist R. Duncan Luce. This thought-provoking book will be particularly valued by researchers in the fields of psychological history and philosophy of science.




Measurement in Social Psychology


Book Description

Although best known for experimental methods, social psychology also has a strong tradition of measurement. This volume seeks to highlight this tradition by introducing readers to measurement strategies that help drive social psychological research and theory development. The books opens with an analysis of the measurement technique that dominates most of the social sciences, self-report. Chapter 1 presents a conceptual framework for interpreting the data generated from self-report, which it uses to provide practical advice on writing strong and structured self-report items. From there, attention is drawn to the many other innovative measurement and data-collection techniques that have helped expand the range of theories social psychologists test. Chapters 2 through 6 introduce techniques designed to measure the internal psychological states of individual respondents, with strategies that can stand alone or complement anything obtained via self-report. Included are chapters on implicit, elicitation, and diary approaches to collecting response data from participants, as well as neurological and psychobiological approaches to inferring underlying mechanisms. The remaining chapters introduce creative data-collection techniques, focusing particular attention on the rich forms of data humans often leave behind. Included are chapters on textual analysis, archival analysis, geocoding, and social media harvesting. The many methods covered in this book complement one another, such that the full volume provides researchers with a powerful toolset to help them better explore what is "social" about human behavior.




Educational and Psychological Measurement


Book Description

This new text provides the most current coverage of measurement and psychometrics in a single volume. Authors W. Holmes Finch and Brian F. French first review the basics of psychometrics and measurement, before moving on to more complex topics such as equating and scaling, item response theory, standard setting, and computer adaptive testing. Also included are discussions of cutting-edge topics utilized by practitioners in the field, such as automated test development, game-based assessment, and automated test scoring. This book is ideal for use as a primary text for graduate-level psychometrics/measurement courses, as well as for researchers in need of a broad resource for understanding test theory. Features: "How it Works" and "Psychometrics in the Real World" boxes break down important concepts through worked examples, and show how theory can be applied to practice. End-of-chapter exercises allow students to test their comprehension of the material, while suggested readings and website links provide resources for further investigation. A collection of free online resources include the full output from R, SPSS, and Excel for each of the analyses conducted in the book, as well as additional exercises, sample homework assignments, answer keys, and PowerPoint lecture slides.




The New Psychometrics


Book Description

Many psychological factors are little more than statistical descriptions of particular sets of data and have no real significance. Paul Kline uses his long and extensive knowledge of psychological measurement to argue that truly scientific forms of measurement could be developed to create a new psychometrics. This would transform the basis of psychology and change it from a social science to a pure science.




Applied Measurement


Book Description

An updated version of Deborah Whetzel and George Wheaton's earlier volume, this text is a well-organized sourcebook for fundamental practices in industrial psychology and human resources management. Applied Measurement describes the process of job analysis and test development with practical examples and discusses various methods for measuring job performance. Its primary purpose is to provide practical, systematic guidance on how to develop the various kinds of measurement instruments frequently used in the fields of industrial psychology and human resources management to assess personnel. With easy to follow guidance written in straightforward language, Applied Measurement contains three new chapters focusing on training and experience measures, assessment centers, and methods for defending the content validity of tests; includes contributions from many prominent researchers in the field, all of whom have had a great deal of applied experience; begins each chapter with an overview describing the job analysis or measurement method; and uses one job, that of an electrician, as an example throughout the book so that readers can easily understand how to apply job analysis data for the purposes of test development and job performance measurement. This practical, concise book is recommended for students and entry-level practitioners in the fields of industrial psychology and human resources.




Clinical Diagnosis of Mental Disorders


Book Description

For centuries the "treatment" of mentally disturbed individuals was quite simple. They were accused of collusion with evil spirits, hunted, and persecuted. The last "witch" was killed as late as 1782 in Switzerland. Mentally disturbed people did not fare much better even when the witchhunting days were gone. John Christian Reil gave the following description of mental pa tients at the crossroads of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries: We incarcerate these miserable creatures as if they were criminals in abandoned jails, near to the lairs of owls in barren canyons beyond the city gates, or in damp dungeons of prisons, where never a pitying look of a humanitarian penetrates; and we let them, in chains, rot in their own excrement. Their fetters have eaten off the flesh of their bones, and their emaciated pale faces look expectantly toward the graves which will end their misery and cover up our shamefulness. (1803) The great reforms introduced by Philippe Pinel at Bicetre in 1793 augured the beginning of a new approach. Pinel ascribed the "sick role," and called for compas sion and help. One does not need to know much about those he wants to hurt, but one must know a lot in order to help. Pinel's reform was followed by a rapid develop ment in research of causes, symptoms, and remedies of mental disorders. There are two main prerequisites for planning a treatment strategy.




Measurement and Evaluation in Psychology and Education


Book Description

This classic introduction to educational and psychological measurement provides a technically rigorous treatment of the core issues in measurement in an easy-to-read and easy-to comprehend way. In preparing readers to become independent users of test information, it describes problems in measurement, explains how these problems are approached and solved, surveys a broad range of sources, and provides guidance in how to find, evaluate, and integrate information about specific tests. This book focuses on the basic issues in measurement. Offers an exceptionally readable presentation that does not require extensive math background. Makes frequent cross references to related topics found in other chapters. Increases emphasis on the assessments used by counselor/school psychologist.




Measurement With Persons


Book Description

Measurements with persons are those in which human perception and interpretation are used for measuring complex, holistic quantities and qualities, which are perceived by the human brain and mind. Providing means for reproducible measurement of parameters such as pleasure and pain has important implications in evaluating all kind of products, services, and conditions. This book inaugurates a new era for this subject: a multi- and inter-disciplinary volume in which world-renowned scientists from the psychological, physical, biological, and social sciences reach a common understanding of measurement theory and methods. In the first section, generic theoretical and methodological issues are treated, including the conceptual basis of measurement in the various fields involved; the development of formal, representational, and probabilistic theories; the approach to experimentation; and the theories, models, and methods for multidimensional problems. In the second section, several implementation areas are presented, including sound, visual, skin, and odor perception, functional brain imagining, body language and emotions, and, finally, the use of measurements in decision making Measurement with Persons will appeal to a wide audience across a range of sciences, including general psychology and psychophysics, measurement theory, metrology and instrumentation, neurophysiology, engineering, biology, and chemistry.




Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs


Book Description

Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Constructs assists researchers and practitioners by identifying and reviewing the best scales/measures for a variety of constructs. Each chapter discusses test validity, reliability, and utility. Authors have focused on the most often used and cited scales/measures, with a particular emphasis on those published in recent years. Each scale is identified and described, the sample on which it was developed is summarized, and reliability and validity data are presented, followed by presentation of the scale, in full or in part, where such permission has been obtained. Measures fall into five broad groups. The emotional disposition section reviews measures of general affective tendencies, and/or cognitive dispositions closely linked to emotion. These measures include hope and optimism, anger and hostility, life satisfaction, self-esteem, confidence, and affect dimensions. Emotion regulation scales go beyond general dispositions to measure factors that may contribute to understanding and managing emotions. These measures include alexithymia, empathy, resiliency, coping, sensation seeking, and ability and trait emotional intelligence. The interpersonal styles section introduces some traditional social–psychological themes in the context of personality assessment. These measures include adult attachment, concerns with public image and social evaluation, and forgiveness. The vices and virtues section reflects adherence to moral standards as an individual characteristic shaped by sociocultural influences and personality. These measures include values and moral personality, religiosity, dark personalities (Machiavellianism,narcissism, and subclinical psychopathy), and perfectionism. The sociocultural interaction and conflict section addresses relationships between different groups and associated attitudes. These measures include cross-cultural values, personality and beliefs, intergroup contact, stereotyping and prejudice, attitudes towards sexual orientation, and personality across cultures. - Encompasses 25 different areas of psychology research - Each scale has validity, reliability info, info on test bias, etc - Multiple scales discussed for each construct - Discussion of which scales are appropriate in which circumstances and to what populations - Examples of scales included




Emotion Measurement


Book Description

Emotion Measurement, Second Edition highlights key elements of emotions that should be considered in the measurement of emotions in both academic and commercial environments. This edition begins with an updated review of basic studies of emotion, including the theory, physiology, and psychology of emotions, as these are the foundational studies which food scientists as well as product developers and marketing professionals need to be aware of. The second section highlights methods for studying emotions, and reviews the different approaches to emotion measurement: questionnaire self-report, behavioral, and physiological. This section explores the merits of intrinsic versus extrinsic measures of emotion. Some new measurement approaches have emerged since the first edition of this book. The book then presents practical applications, with chapters on emotion research in food and beverage, as well as in a range of products and clinical settings. The experience in testing product emotions has increased since the first edition when product emotion research was newer. Finally, Emotion Measurement, Second Edition provides coverage of cross-cultural research on emotions. This is critical because much of the newer commercial research is aimed at markets around the world, requiring methods that work in many cultures. And the universality of emotions has been a topic of research for decades. Taking both an academic and applied approach, Emotion Measurement, Second Edition will be an invaluable reference for those conducting basic academic research on emotions and for sensory and consumer scientists, and the product developers and marketing professionals they work alongside. - Reviews both the academic and the applied strands of emotion measurement research - Focuses on cross-cultural studies of emotions, which is currently lacking from most of the literature in the field - Highlights methods for studying emotions in both basic and applied studies