Conference Report: "Epistemology of Measurement"

On May 6, 2003 a thematic 'Conference' on the Epistemology of Measurement in the Social Sciences : Contemporary Perspectives was organized at the Institute of History and Philosophy of Science and Technique, Paris, France. At IHPST the concerns with the epistemology of social sciences are multifaceted. The May 6 conference was concerned with the family of measurement models familiar to the readers of Rasch Measurement Transactions.

David Andrich (Murdoch University, Australia) gave a paper on Recognizing problems after they are solved in the construction of models of measurement in the social sciences. He showed us, in reference to Kuhn's work, that various measurement problems in the social sciences were recognized as problems after their solution was derived. This required insights and recognition of the implications of the models, but the models were not constructed with the solution to those problems in mind. Indeed, He suggested that the problems could not have been solved if it was set out to solve them.

Joel Michell (University of Sydney University, Australia) gave a paper on The theory of additive conjoint measurement and the Rasch model. His point was that although the relationship between the Rasch model for psychometric measurement and the theory of additive conjoint measurement has been recognized since the 1970s, surprisingly little attention has been given to the issue of testing the hierarchy of conjoint measurement cancellation conditions in the Rasch context and in particular the contrast between the following three issues: (1) the information that each of these cancellation conditions supplies about the structure of the ability & difficulty attributes, (2) the empirical content they each possess, and (3) the a priori probability of falsifying them in the Rasch context.

William Fisher (Metametrics Inc., Durham, NC, USA) gave a paper on The metaphysics of measurement : Toward a hermeneutic-mathematical methodological continuum. He suggested that we could understand the role of measuring instruments in the social sciences as some kind of text production. From this he presented his own theory of measurement's objectivity taking into account some of the post modernist criticism, in reference to Latour, while enabling to understand the character both conventional and objective of measurement in its relation to experiment. He also outlined some metaphysical implications of this understanding.

Trevor Bond (James Cook University, Australia) setting the tone for the discussion, gave a paper on The Rasch model and the progress of science. He provided wide ranging perspectives on the uses of the family of Rasch models in the social sciences and their consequences along with insights on the difficulties and snags of their applications and dissemination.

Philippe Lemoigne (CNRS-Paris 5 University, France) Opened the discussion with the following question: why is measurement, on the one hand, very much developed in the social sciences and on the other hand somewhat blind to questions related to the metrical character of the data ? He analyzed several examples from clinical psychology and psychiatry where he thinks this dilemma is especially salient.

Alain Leplège Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, Paris & Département de Philosophie, Université d'Amiens, France.


Conference Report: Epistemology of Measurement. Alain Leplège … Rasch Measurement Transactions, 2003, 17:1, 908



Rasch Publications
Rasch Measurement Transactions (free, online) Rasch Measurement research papers (free, online) Probabilistic Models for Some Intelligence and Attainment Tests, Georg Rasch Applying the Rasch Model 3rd. Ed., Bond & Fox Best Test Design, Wright & Stone
Rating Scale Analysis, Wright & Masters Introduction to Rasch Measurement, E. Smith & R. Smith Introduction to Many-Facet Rasch Measurement, Thomas Eckes Invariant Measurement: Using Rasch Models in the Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences, George Engelhard, Jr. Statistical Analyses for Language Testers, Rita Green
Rasch Models: Foundations, Recent Developments, and Applications, Fischer & Molenaar Journal of Applied Measurement Rasch models for measurement, David Andrich Constructing Measures, Mark Wilson Rasch Analysis in the Human Sciences, Boone, Stave, Yale
in Spanish: Análisis de Rasch para todos, Agustín Tristán Mediciones, Posicionamientos y Diagnósticos Competitivos, Juan Ramón Oreja Rodríguez

To be emailed about new material on www.rasch.org
please enter your email address here:

I want to Subscribe: & click below
I want to Unsubscribe: & click below

Please set your SPAM filter to accept emails from Rasch.org

www.rasch.org welcomes your comments:

Your email address (if you want us to reply):

 

ForumRasch Measurement Forum to discuss any Rasch-related topic

Go to Top of Page
Go to index of all Rasch Measurement Transactions
AERA members: Join the Rasch Measurement SIG and receive the printed version of RMT
Some back issues of RMT are available as bound volumes
Subscribe to Journal of Applied Measurement

Go to Institute for Objective Measurement Home Page. The Rasch Measurement SIG (AERA) thanks the Institute for Objective Measurement for inviting the publication of Rasch Measurement Transactions on the Institute's website, www.rasch.org.

Coming Rasch-related Events
May 17 - June 21, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
June 12 - 14, 2024, Wed.-Fri. 1st Scandinavian Applied Measurement Conference, Kristianstad University, Kristianstad, Sweden http://www.hkr.se/samc2024
June 21 - July 19, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Further Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
Aug. 5 - Aug. 6, 2024, Fri.-Fri. 2024 Inaugural Conference of the Society for the Study of Measurement (Berkeley, CA), Call for Proposals
Aug. 9 - Sept. 6, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (E. Smith, Facets), www.statistics.com
Oct. 4 - Nov. 8, 2024, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
Jan. 17 - Feb. 21, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
May 16 - June 20, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com
June 20 - July 18, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Further Topics (E. Smith, Facets), www.statistics.com
Oct. 3 - Nov. 7, 2025, Fri.-Fri. On-line workshop: Rasch Measurement - Core Topics (E. Smith, Winsteps), www.statistics.com

 

The URL of this page is www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt171g.htm

Website: www.rasch.org/rmt/contents.htm