Psychological instruments

I have also chosen the interest domain to illustrate a simple but important methodological principle—the importance of measurement error and specificity. Measurement error and specificity saturate all psychological instruments and failure to take them into account results in theoretically misleading conclusions1. 

Whether any of the neurophysiological approaches is more or less sensitive than psychological instruments to delineate drug effects in healthy volunteers is difficult to judge because only a few studies used both types of methodology in parallel. Nevertheless, in order to provide a rough overview, Table 3.9 sets out... 

In his model C. Starr saw a socio-psychological instrument for the evaluation of new risks by means of exact data of the past on the basis of the following premises ... 

Conversion tables and charts now available make it possible to express I.C.I. data in forms in which a specified color and the significance of measured color differences can be more easily visualized. For example, I.C.I. values calculated from objective instrumental readings can be converted into the Munsell notation which evaluates the three psychological color attributes—hue, lightness (Munsell value), saturation (Munsell chroma)—on scales of approximately equal visual steps. In addition, the Munsell color charts offer one of the most convenient sources of material standards for direct color comparisons. 

Is this a physically sensible number This depends on the original units of measurement and what the instrumental noise characteristics are. If it is known that the root mean square noise is about 0.05 units, then it seems sensible. If the noise level, however, is substantially lower, then not enough PCs have been calculated. In fact, most modem chromatographic instruments can determine peak intensities much more accurately than 0.05 AU, so this would suggest a second PC is required. Many statisticians do not like these approaches, but in most areas of instrumentally based measurements it is possible to measure noise levels. In psychology or economics we cannot easily consider performing experiments in the absence of signals. 

Sensations perceived in the mouth during mastication may vary between subjects, but their acceptability will certainly reflect cultural as well as physiological and psychological differences. Tests for sensory assessment of texture aim at understanding how the food feels in the mouth. They may be classified into those where consumers are constrained to record only their perception of in-mouth stimuli (e.g., trained panel assessment) in other words, they are asked to perform as an analytical instrument. Alternatively, consumers are asked to record their judgment against requirements of quality (e.g., preference testing) where perceptions are related to expectation. Sensory assessment of texture is described in many texts, for example, Kilcast (2004). 

Important psychological constructs saturate multiple assessment vehicles because they operate in multiple aspects of life. Important constructs are ubiquitous. They are typically with us . But because human behavioural determinants are both multilevel and multifaceted, evidence for even general psychological constructs needs to be secured through technical scientific instrumentation. This is not unique to psychological assessment, as E. O. Wilson (1998) observed in Consilience,... 

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