Daredevil barnstorming to the tipping point: new aspirations for the human sciences

Aviation history provides an apt metaphor for the state of Rasch measurement practice, and its potential future. Flying was initially widely believed to be nothing but a spectacular and dangerous fad. Few saw in it any potential for the huge industry that it is today. The current state of Rasch measurement practice is quite akin to daredevil barnstorming in that the field is focused on isolated demonstrations of disconnected technical effects. Only when the analogues of air traffic control, airports, support staff, training programs, textbooks, and partner industries (hotels, restaurants) are in place will Rasch measurement come into its own as the technical medium of a widespread industry. The point at which current practice tips into a new paradigm depends on the realization of operationally validated theory in a supportive social context. The paper closes with speculations on what crossing Rasch measurement's tipping point might entail.