Measuring the Mind: Conceptual Issues in Contemporary Psychometrics

Is it possible to measure psychological attributes like intelligence, personality and attitudes and if so, how does that work? What does the term ‘measurement’ mean in a psychological context? This fascinating and timely book discusses these questions and investigates the possible answers that can be given in response. Denny Borsboom provides an in-depth treatment of the philosophical foundations of widely used measurement models in psychology. The theoretical status of classical test theory, latent variable theory, and representational measurement theory are critically evaluated, and positioned in terms of the underlying philosophy of science. Special attention is devoted to the central concept of test validity, and future directions to improve the theory and practice of psychological measurement are outlined.

• Presents a unique combination of psychometric theory and philosophy of science • Uncovers the silent assumptions of psychological testing • Provides an in-depth analysis of psychometric concepts

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. True scores; 3. Latent variables; 4. Scales; 5. Relations between the models; 6. The concept of validity; References; Index.