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Optimal standard measures: Comment on Matthews et al. (2016)
1School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University.
The American Psychologist
|July 21, 2017
Summary
Standardizing depression measure scores does not ensure interchangeability due to content differences. A single, definition-fitting standard measure is proposed for accurate mental health construct assessment.
Area of Science:
- Psychological Measurement
- Mental Health Assessment
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Previous research suggested score standardization could make depression measures interchangeable.
- This approach assumes content differences in measures are negligible after standardization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the notion that score standardization equates mental health measures.
- To advocate for the use of a single, optimal standard measure based on a defined construct.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of measurement equivalence.
- Critique of score standardization as a method for ensuring interchangeability.
Main Results:
- Content disparities in mental health measures inherently prevent their a priori equivalence.
- Score standardization does not resolve fundamental differences in what measures assess.
Conclusions:
- Measures of constructs like depression cannot be made interchangeable solely by standardizing scores.
- Establishing a standard definition and using a single, optimal measure fitting that definition is necessary for accurate assessment.
