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The Idea of Measurement

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A Course in Rasch Measurement Theory

Part of the book series: Springer Texts in Education ((SPTE))

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Abstract

Assessment involves the engagement of an entity with some instrument and the recording of observations of the engagement according to some protocol. Measurement involves some kind of transformation of assessments and is defined as the estimation of the amount of an unidimensional latent trait relative to a unit . A scale is a linear continuum partitioned into equal units, which provides the measurements, and scaling is the process of locating an entity on such a scale . Arithmetic operations are justified with measurements.

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References

  • Alder, K. (2002). The measure of all things: The seven- year odyssey and hidden error that transformed the world. New York: Free Press.

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  • Andrich, D. (2004). Controversy and the Rasch model: A characteristic of incompatible paradigms? Medical Care, 42(1), i7–i16.

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  • Stevens, S. S. (1951). Handbook of experimental psychology. New York: Wiley.

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Further Reading

  • Glass, G. V., & Stanley, J. C. (1970). Chapter 2: Measurement, scales, and statistics. Statistical methods in education and psychology (pp. 7–25). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia

    David Andrich & Ida Marais

Authors
  1. David Andrich
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  2. Ida Marais
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Andrich .

Exercises

Exercises

Categorize each of the following as either nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio use of numbers according to Stevens (1951):

  1. a.

    The numbers on a set of training weights in a gymnasium.

  2. b.

    The numbers on a team of soccer (English football) players’ shirts.

  3. c.

    Scores on a biology test.

  4. d.

    First, second and third place in an Olympic swimming race.

  5. e.

    The numbers on a thermometer.

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© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Cite this chapter

Andrich, D., Marais, I. (2019). The Idea of Measurement. In: A Course in Rasch Measurement Theory. Springer Texts in Education. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7496-8_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7496-8_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-13-7495-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-13-7496-8

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

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