Bringmann&Eronen - Reading assignment

Question 2

What is the main message of this paper?

Answer 2

Even though physics and psychology are of course distinct scientific disciplines,
psychology can learn from the history of physics. There are possible parallels
between the development of the thermometer and the development of proper
measurement in psychology. Even though measurement in psychology is very
complex, it does not mean we cannot trust that it will get better. But in doing so we can learn some lessons from the history of the measurement of temperature

Question 3

What are lessons for validity in psychology (3 insights derived from history of temperature)?

Answer 3

1. studying causal mechanisms is essential for evaluating whether
   measurements are valid.
2. Psychologists would benefit from focusing more on the robustness of
   measurements
3. It is possible to make good science based on relatively bad
   measurements.

Question 4

Explain how robustness of measurements relates to validity

Answer 4

if there are several independent ways of measuring
something that give the same result this increases our confidence in the
result

Question 5

How can we make good science with bad measurements?

Answer 5

Relatively imprecise measures can still contribute to the development of valuable theory that can then improve measurement.
Furthermore, such progress can contribute to the validity of measurement retroactively: the fact that a correct theory followed from
those measures suggests that the measures were at least to some extent
valid

Question 6

Bringmann and Eronen make a comparison between temperature and
psychological attributes. How do they justify this comparison?

Answer 6

Both temperature and psychological attributes were at one point ‘unknown’
variables, and through observation we learned more about them.

Question 7

Explain how Bringmann & Eronen’s arguments contrast or are similar to
Michell’s view on the measurement problem

Answer 7

Michell: we first have to prove that an attribute is quantitative in nature. For
Bringmann & Eronen this is not necessary: you can start with a working hypothesis
and then work your way to more understanding on the attribute you want to
measure.

Question 8

Explain how Bringmann & Eronen’s arguments contrast or are similar to
Stevens’ views

Answer 8

Stevens: ‘anything goes’, as long as you have a rule, you can measure. Bringmann &
Eronen would probably argue that you may start with ‘a rule’ but you also have to focus on underlying theories about the attributes themselves; only then will the measurement procedure start to achieve a valid measurement of the underlying
attribute

Question 9

What is Michell and Bringmann and Eronen stance on instrumental task?

Answer 9

Michell argues that scientific task should succeed before we can work on instrumental task.
Bringmann and Eronen argue that it is possible to start with instrumental task before scientific task (make working hypothesis that temperature is measurable and go from there) and then validate the hypothesis later by evaluating theories that develop from these measurements

Question 10

How do you evaluate the success of a theory?

Answer 10

Explanatory and predictive power: how well does a theory explain or predict new observations