Measurement in psychology: critical history of a methodological concept

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 17
CHAPTER 1 Numerical data and the meaning of measurement......Page 19
TWO EXAMPLES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT......Page 23
Psychophysics......Page 24
Intellectual abilities......Page 27
QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND THE CONCEPT OF MEASUREMENT......Page 30
The definition of measurement in psychology......Page 33
CHAPTER 2 Quantitative psychology’s intellectual inheritance......Page 42
THE CLASSICAL CONCEPT OF MEASUREMENT......Page 43
THE MEASURABILITY THESIS......Page 51
THE QUANTITY OBJECTION......Page 58
APORIA AND NEXUS......Page 62
CHAPTER 3 Quantity, number and measurement in science......Page 64
THE THEORY OF CONTINUOUS QUANTITY......Page 65
THE THEORY OF (MEASUREMENT) NUMBERS......Page 77
THE THEORY OF QUANTIFICATION......Page 85
STEVENS’ DEFINITION AND THE LOGIC OF QUANTIFICATION......Page 94
CHAPTER 4 Early psychology and the quantity objection......Page 96
FECHNER’S MODEL FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASUREMENT......Page 97
APPLYING FECHNER’S MODUS OPERANDI......Page 108
CHAPTER 5 Making the representational theory of measurement......Page 127
RUSSELL’S TRANSFORMATION OF THE CONCEPT OF MEASUREMENT......Page 128
The problem of the relativity of continuous quantity......Page 129
The problem of the indivisibility of magnitudes......Page 132
Russell’s new theory of measurement......Page 134
CAMPBELL’S THEORY OF FUNDAMENTAL AND DERIVED MEASUREMENT......Page 139
Campbell’s concept of number......Page 141
Campbell’s concept of physical additivity......Page 143
Derived measurement......Page 146
NAGEL’S POSITIVISTIC REPRESENTATIONALISM......Page 149
FROM RATIOS TO REPRESENTATIONS......Page 155
CHAPTER 6 The status of psychophysical measurement......Page 158
THE FERGUSON COMMITTEE......Page 161
THE RESPONSE TO THE FINAL REPORT......Page 173
CHAPTER 7 A definition made to measure......Page 180
STEVENS’ THOROUGHGOING REPRESENTATIONALISM......Page 182
STEVENS’ OPERATIONISM......Page 187
STEVENS’ CONCEPT OF NUMBER......Page 195
STEVENS’ ‘REVOLUTION’......Page 203
CHAPTER 8 Quantitative psychology and the revolution in measurement theory......Page 209
THE REVOLUTION THAT HAPPENED......Page 211
ELUDING THE REVOLUTION......Page 229
IN FINE......Page 234
Glossary......Page 238
References......Page 242
Index......Page 261