%0 Journal Article
%T Measurement, ontology, and epistemology: Psychology needs pragmatism
%A Bruno Falissard
%A Herv¨¦ Guyon
%A Jacques Juhel
%A Jean-Luc Kop
%J Theory & Psychology
%@ 1461-7447
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0959354318761606
%X Measurement in psychology is at the heart of a major debate in the academic literature. We aim to contribute to a critical discussion of this issue. We propose to reposition the object of this type of measure, namely a mental attribute as measured by mental tests. Mental attributes should be considered not as a true object independent of the knower, but as an emergent property of a person dependent on the social context. On the basis of this clarified ontology, we consider that an empirical approach to measuring a mental attribute is possible. This approach must be resolutely pragmatist and realist. In practical terms, this means that a test needs to be renegotiated relative to the context. The validation of quantitative measures requires verification of a certain number of criteria. Consequently, our work critically explores measures as they are usually implemented in the area of psychometrics
%K epistemology
%K measure
%K ontology
%K pragmatism
%K realism
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0959354318761606