Psychometry of Latent Characteristics: Tools, Problems of Rank Information Processing, Solutions

Abstract

The paper examines the problems of correctness and adequacy of the use of psychometric tools in psychosocial research and applications. The main attention is paid to the problem of correct processing of rank information, which is non-numeric information that does not allow the use of classical mathematical operations, starting with the addition operation. The approach of forming the results of processing expert, ranked information in the scale of relations based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), which includes a measurement apparatus and decision-making algorithms, is presented. An example is given that simulates the situation of an expert council and demonstrates unacceptable contradictions that arise with the "numerical" approach to processing rank information. The algorithms of the AHP normative approach are presented, which allow obtaining numerical, personalized assessments of psychosocial characteristics. The basic concepts of the Rasch Measurement (RM) for comparing the capabilities of AHP and RM in psychosocial applications are described. Some critical remarks about the methods of psychometry are considered. It is shown that the origins of the criticisms are associated with a superficial understanding of the basic concepts of psychometric measurements and the scope of their applications, as well as with elementary errors when using the apparatus of psychometric instruments.