Measurement theory

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The measurement theory in psychology is concerned regardless of specific scientific problems with foundations of metrology, in particular with the conditions that must be met in order to measure a property.

For this purpose, it lays down a basic terminology and uses the tools of set theory and mathematical illustrations to describe measurement.

Measurement theory shows how empirical relation systems (ie observable relationships between properties of different objects of the type “A is smaller than B.”) can be converted into formal relation systems using numerical values. In order for this to be possible, a structure-preserving mapping from the empirical to the formal system of relations must exist. Measurement theory shows how such images can be found and proven in order to prove the measurability of properties.

In the further elaboration, the measurement theory of the formation of different scale types is the basis. Furthermore, different measurement structures are examined, such as B. the extensive measurement, the bisymmetry structure or the additively connected measurement.

Measurement theory is particularly important in areas in which the measurability of the properties of interest is not immediately obvious. These include B. the measurability of psychological processes.

literature

  • David H. Krantz , R. Duncan Luce , Patrick Suppes & Amos Tversky : Foundations of measurement. Vol. I. Additive and polynomial representations. Academic Press, New York 1971.
  • Patrick Suppes, David H. Krantz, R. Duncan Luce & Amos Tversky: Foundations of measurement. Vol. II. Geometrical, threshold and probabilistic representations. Academic Press, New York 1989.
  • R. Duncan Luce, David H. Krantz, Patrick Suppes & Amos Tversky: Foundations of measurement. Vol. III. Representation, axiomatization, and invariance. Academic Press, New York 1990.
  • Markus Wirtz, Christof Nachtigall: Descriptive Statistics. Statistical methods for psychologists. Volume 1 & 2. Juventa Verlag, 4th edition, 2006, ISBN 978-3779910534 .