Abuse and Misuse of Psychometrics as a Threat to Vocational Psychology
Document Type
Book Section
Publication Date
1-2-2020
Publication Title
International Handbook of Career Guidance (2nd Ed)
Publisher
Springer
Publisher Location
Cham, Switzerland
First page number:
721
Last page number:
734
Abstract
Psychometrics - the science and technology of measuring psychological constructs - is a definitive feature of vocational psychology and career development. For a century, vocational psychology has produced and refined measures for research and practices in diverse industry sectors, including education, training, selection, and recruitment. We overview the philosophical foundations of post-positivism in contrast to an anti-psychometrics discourse emanating from critical scholarship so as to raise concerns that this critical commentary threatens the public’s understanding of psychometrics, their ethical use, and utility. It is time for psychology to advocate for its science and technology, and push back against the iconoclastic rhetoric of its protagonists in the struggle for knowledge/power.
Keywords
Psychometrics; Career assessment; Postmodernism; Standardized testing; NAPLAN
Disciplines
Education | Vocational Education
Language
English
Repository Citation
Perera, H.,
McIlveen, P.
(2020).
Abuse and Misuse of Psychometrics as a Threat to Vocational Psychology.
International Handbook of Career Guidance (2nd Ed)
721-734.
Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25153-6_33