Editing Psychometrics (section)

{{short description|Theory and technique of psychological measurement}}
{{distinguish|text=[[psychrometrics]], the measurement of the heat and water vapor properties of air}}
{{For|other uses of this term and similar terms|Psychometry (disambiguation)}}
{{About|the theory and technique of measurement of psychological attributes|research design and methodology in psychology|Psychological statistics|the mathematical modeling of psychological theories and phenomena|Mathematical psychology}}<!-- definitions loosely taken from the three articles and https://dictionary.apa.org/ -->

{{Psychology sidebar|applied}}
'''Psychometrics''' is a field of study within [[psychology]] concerned with the theory and technique of [[measurement]]. Psychometrics generally covers specialized fields within psychology and education devoted to testing, measurement, assessment, and related activities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ncme.org/ncme/NCME/Resource_Center/Glossary/NCME/Resource_Center/Glossary1.aspx?hkey=4bb87415-44dc-4088-9ed9-e8515326a061#anchorP|title=Glossary1|date=22 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722194028/http://www.ncme.org/ncme/NCME/Resource_Center/Glossary/NCME/Resource_Center/Glossary1.aspx?hkey=4bb87415-44dc-4088-9ed9-e8515326a061#anchorP |access-date=28 June 2022|archive-date=2017-07-22 }}</ref> Psychometrics is concerned with the objective measurement of [[Latent variable|latent constructs]] that cannot be directly observed. Examples of latent constructs include [[intelligence]], [[introversion]], [[Mental disorder|mental disorders]], and [[Educational measurement|educational achievement]].<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last1=Tabachnick|first1=B.G.|title=Using Multivariate Analysis|last2=Fidell|first2=L.S.|publisher=Allyn and Bacon|year=2001|isbn=978-0-321-05677-1|location=Boston}}{{Page needed|date=November 2010}}</ref> The levels of individuals on nonobservable latent variables are [[Statistical inference|inferred]] through [[mathematical model|mathematical modeling]] based on what is observed from individuals' responses to items on tests and scales.<ref name=":0" /> 

Practitioners are described as psychometricians, although not all who engage in psychometric research go by this title. Psychometricians usually possess specific qualifications, such as degrees or certifications, and most are [[psychologists]] with advanced graduate training in psychometrics and measurement theory. In addition to traditional academic institutions, practitioners also work for organizations, such as [[Pearson Education|Pearson]] and the [[Educational Testing Service]]. Some psychometric researchers focus on the construction and validation of assessment instruments, including [[Survey sampling|surveys]], [[Scale invariance|scales]], and [[Open-ended question|open-]] or [[Closed-ended question|close-ended]] [[Questionnaire|questionnaires]]. Others focus on research relating to measurement theory (e.g., [[item response theory]], [[intraclass correlation]]) or specialize as [[learning and development]] professionals.