On revitalizing the measurement curriculum.

Aftanas, Marion S.

doi:10.1037/0003-066x.49.10.889

Cited by 6 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Unfortunately, the plight of current psychological measurement training in graduate programs is not so welcome news. But Lambert (1990), Meier (1993), and Aftana (1994) all provide some constructive suggesting for improving the current situation. In the end, it may not be so much a need to refute our past, but rather to build and expand on it to create a more inclusive concept of construct validity for personnel and industrial psychology that will lead to an expanded role for theory (Campbell, 1990b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The need for an evolving concept of validity in industrial and personnel psychology: Psychometric, legal, and emerging issues

1998

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The Trinitarian view of validity (namely content, criterion-related, and construct) has dominated psychology for almost a half century. In industrial and personnel psychology especially, content and criterion-related (in particular) forms of validity have served as workhorses. Such a limited focus has lead to a stagnation of the area and the inability to incorporate more theory into the research and practice of personnel psychology. Therefore, we review the evolution of the concept of validity in the psychology discipline, with a particular emphasis on industrial and personnel psychology. We then review the legal and statutory history within industrial and personnel psychology that has helped to shape the concept of validity over the years. Finally, we examine some emerging trends in industrial and personnel psychology, including the issue of graduate training, which may have important consequences on how we conceptualize validity in the future in both our research and practice of personnel psychology.The term "validity" in psychological measurement has traditionally been conceptualized using a Trinitarian distinction among content, criterion-related, and construct validity. While calls for abandonment of the Trinitarian view of validity have been sounded for more than two decades (e.g., Guion, 1980;Landy, 1986;Schmitt & Landy, 1993;Tenopyr, 1977), in practice this view of validity still predominates. A logical question is why? Therefore, we will outline the history of validity and how it has evolved in the psychological literature up to the present time, with a particular emphasis on personnel and industrial psychology. In addition to the Trinitarian test validation view, we will examine other common references and terms for validity (e.g., consequential validity, face validity, factorial validity) and their influence on how the concept of validity has evolved in the psychological measurement literature, as well as in applied industrial settings.In addition, given the strong legal constraints that personnel psychologists must work under, we review the legal cases and regulatory decisions that have helped to shape the concept of validity over the years. For example, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the subsequent publication of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP) have for all practical purposes dictated how selection validation research is performed, to be legally defensible, in that the UGESP is given heavy weight in most selection discrimination lawsuits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The need for an evolving concept of validity in industrial and personnel psychology: Psychometric, legal, and emerging issues

1998

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“…The loosely developed interpretations of the scale types, drawn by authors of introductory methodology and measurement textbooks regarding scale prescriptions and statistical proscriptions, need to be highlighted and clarified. Some reviews of these textbooks have pointed to the variety of interpretations that have been “read into” as well as derived from Stevens’ theory (Aftanas, 1994, 2001). Several inconsistencies in the interpretations and elaborations of the theory that were evident in these secondary sources were highlighted by Aftanas (2001).…”

Section: Relevant Measurement Theory Precedentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Traces of a General Measurement Theory in Psychology

Aftanas

Solomon²

2018

Review of General Psychology

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A review of the historical measurement theory literature in psychology reveals a recurring focus on a physical rather than a psychological model of the measurement process, whereas the active measurement research literature points to an emphasis on elements of a psychological measurement process. On the basis of the relevant portions of these anomalous findings the authors outline parts of a general measurement structure for psychology that begins with an essential theoretical base. The review first explores a century-old statement that developed a promising starting point within test development. This is followed by a diversionary statement based on physical measurement that mandated discussions of measurement in psychology to a physical model. The statement appeared to be countered by the theory of scale types ( Stevens, 1946 ), which provided a promising element of the psychological measurement process. The legacy of the theory of scales, however, resulted in confusion and inconsistency about the specifics of psychological measurement. After reviewing some of the contributions in the research literature, a conciliation of the positive theory efforts of the past and the protocols for a measurement process are presented that is based upon the standard system of measurement ( Aftanas, 1988 , 2006 ) as the basic theoretically necessary element of measurement. The theoretical framework based on the standard system promises not only to integrate the components of measurement, and categories of psychological measurement that have been referenced in the past, but also to provide an easily assimilated protocol that can serve as a basis for future research and pedagogical exposition.

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“…In the end, however, our arguments do not outweigh other factors (e.g., lack of resources) working against us. This lack of impact on the undergraduate curriculum is witnessed by unanswered calls for reform from almost 20 years ago (e.g., Aftanas, 1994; Lambert, 1991) and the insufficient training in measurement that continues to afflict graduate education despite demands for change (e.g., Aiken, West, & Millsap, 2008; Cone & Foster, 1991; Meier, 1993).…”

Section: Undergraduate Instructor Influencementioning

confidence: 99%

Attracting Students to the Field of Measurement

Finney

Pastor

2012

Educational Measurement

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To address the shortage of professionals in measurement, it is essential that we make young career‐seekers aware that measurement is an option as a profession. In this paper, we discuss how creating a strong pipeline of students into our field involves personal interactions between faculty representing the graduate programs in measurement and undergraduate students, in addition to the equally important task of educating instructors of undergraduates about our field. We describe advertising strategies that, in our experience, catch and hold the attention of undergraduates, resulting in many of them investigating graduate training in measurement. After attracting students to the field, we must engage them in practice, enabling them to build an identity as a measurement professional. In general, we believe that although it is possible to attract some students via non‐personal advertising strategies (e.g., articles, websites), measurement professionals must personally reach out to young people to connect them with the field.

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On revitalizing the measurement curriculum.

Cited by 6 publications

References 8 publications

The need for an evolving concept of validity in industrial and personnel psychology: Psychometric, legal, and emerging issues

The need for an evolving concept of validity in industrial and personnel psychology: Psychometric, legal, and emerging issues

Historical Traces of a General Measurement Theory in Psychology

Attracting Students to the Field of Measurement

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