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What if there were no psychometrics?: constructs, complexity, and measurement
1Department of Management and Employment Relations, University of Auckland, New Zealand. paul.barrett@auckland.ac.nz
Journal of Personality Assessment
|September 21, 2005
Summary
This review examines construct validity in personality psychology, highlighting issues in defining and using constructs. It suggests modern psychometrics may stifle substantive scientific innovation in measurement and meaning.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Personality Psychology
- Individual Differences Research
Background:
- McGrath's article critically analyzes construct validity and its definition, use, and interpretation in personality and individual differences research.
- The article identifies confusions and proposes solutions for defining and utilizing psychological constructs.
Discussion:
- The review considers latent variable and item response theory as potential rejoinders to McGrath's arguments.
- Despite advancements in stochastic modeling and latent variable construction, fundamental issues in measurement and meaning persist.
Key Insights:
- Current psychometric approaches may be overly dominated by statistical methods, potentially hindering substantive scientific innovation.
- A critical re-evaluation of the role of psychometrics is needed to ensure progress in understanding psychological constructs.
Outlook:
- Further exploration into the impact of psychometrics on psychological research is warranted.
- Future research should prioritize substantive scientific innovation that properly addresses measurement and meaning in construct definition and application.
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