MEASUREMENT
DEFINITION OF MEASUREMENT.--"Measurement," according to the
Century Dictionary,--"is the act of measuring," and to measure
is--"to ascertain the length, extent, dimensions, quantity or
capacity of, by comparison with a standard; ascertain or determine a
quantity by exact observation," or, again, "to estimate or determine
the relative extent, greatness or value of, appraise by comparison
with something else."
MEASUREMENT IMPORTANT IN PSYCHOLOGY.--Measurement has always
been of importance in psychology; but it is only with the
development of experimental psychology and its special apparatus,
that methods of accurate measurements are available which make
possible the measurement of extremely short periods of time, or
measurements "quick as thought," These enable us to measure the
variations of different workers as to their abilities and their
mental and physical fatigue;[1] to study mental processes at
different stages of mental and physical growth; to compare different
people under the same conditions, and the same person under
different conditions; to determine the personal coefficient of
different workers, specialists and foremen, and to formulate
resultant standards. As in all other branches of science, the
progress comes with the development of measurement.
METHODS OF MEASUREMENT IN PSYCHOLOGY.--No student of management,
and of measurement in the field of management, can afford not to
study, carefully and at length, methods of measurement under
psychology. This, for at least two most important reasons, which
will actually improve him as a measurer, i.e.--