Psychometrics
Psychometric
literally means, measuring the mind and, in one sense, any systematic
attempt to assess mental characteristics could come into this category.
The term however, is usually used to describe specific tests for
personality, intelligence or some kind of attitude measurement. Strengths
Psychometry is based upon
attempts to measure and express numerically the characteristics of
behaviour in individuals. It
is therefore usually seen as an objective and scientific way of describing
people and their behaviour. This technique, of course,
provides lots of quantitative data which is easy to analyse statistically. Psychometric tests are
usually easy to administer. Weaknesses
Constructing valid and
reliable tests is very difficult. Tests usually contain
culture bias, especially intelligence tests. Most tests will contain
designer bias, in the sense that any test is biased in the direction of
the author's view. Most tests make the
assumption that characteristics to be measured are fixed and unchanging,
both in relation to time and also in relation to circumstance or
situation. Many studies in psychology, especially social psychology,
demonstrate that this is not so. There is the danger that the
labelling of an individual as possessing a particular trait or ability
will tend to encourage conformity to that trait. The psychometric approach
implies a nomothetic view of people: that is to say, a view that people
are capable of being classified and measured.
The opposing view to this would argue that humans are essentially
individuals and not susceptible to classification. This is an idiographic view. The view is frequently taken
that the very fact that something is measured makes it exist as a concept.
It is often argued that 'intelligence is what intelligence tests
measure'. The concept of intelligence might not have existed at all if
Binet had not set out to measure it.
Intelligence came to be defined in terms of test performance rather
than as an entity itself. One of the major dangers in
psychometric testing is not so much the tests themselves, as their use by
untrained or politically motivated individuals.
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