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Measurement in Psychology: A Critical History of a Methodological Concept (Ideas in Context)

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Author: Joel Michell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Category: Book

Buy New: $50.00

New (19) Used (15) from $37.00

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 268
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.7

ISBN: 0521021510
Dewey Decimal Number: 150.287
EAN: 9780521021517
ASIN: 0521021510

Publication Date: October 20, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Similar Items:

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•	Foundations of Measurement Volume II: Geometrical, Threshold, and Probabilistic Representations
•	The Story of Psychology

Editorial Reviews:

Product 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 Hoelder, 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.

Book Description
It is now widely believed that psychologists are able to measure many attributes once thought unmeasurable, such as intelligence, personality, and social attitudes. What is not widely known is that, in promoting such claims, psychologists have their own special definition of measurement, one that trivialises the conception relative to its meaning in the established physical sciences. By considering the history of psychology and related disciplines over the past 150 years, this book explains how this anamolous situation arose and concludes by urging a new direction for research in quantitative psychology.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars

A superb account of logic and scienctific thought April 11, 2006
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

Although retired from his role at the University of Sydney, I hope that Joel Michell's words continue to change lives as they did when he was actively teaching.br /br /This book takes you through a journey of logic. It is a series of lessons in thinking, and critiques the lack of logic and sensible thought that all too many "scientists" abide by.br /br /If you are reading this review, you already have an inquisitive mind. The lessons from this book changed the way I think, and I don't doubt that it can do so for you.

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