Data in social and behavioral sciences typically contain measurement errors and also do not have predefined metrics. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is commonly used to analyze such data. This article discuss issues in latent-variable modeling as compared to regression analysis with composite-scores. Via logical reasoning and analytical results…

Measures of agreement are compared to measures of prediction accuracy within a general context. Differences in appropriate use are emphasized, and approaches are examined for both numerical and nominal variables. General estimation methods are developed, and their large-sample properties are compared.

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is an influential methodological approach motivated by set theory and boolean logic. QCA proponents have developed algorithms to analyze quantitative data, in a bid to uncover necessary and sufficient conditions where causal relationships are complex, conditional, or asymmetric. This article uses computer…

Questions on voluntary association memberships have been used extensively in social scientific research for decades. Researchers generally assume that these respondent self-reports are accurate, but their measurement has never been assessed. Respondent characteristics are known to influence the accuracy of other self-report variables such as…

This work proposes simple experiments to introduce some fundamental concepts of the measurement area. It associates theory and practice through a strategy where the students create a real temperature data set with an Arduino board and three LM35DZ sensors and later use mathematical software to identify theoretical concepts as measurement accuracy…

"Biometrics" are physical or behavioral human characteristics that can be used to identify a person. It is widely known that keystroke or typing dynamics for short, fixed texts (e.g., passwords) could serve as a behavioral biometric. In this study, we investigate whether keystroke data from essay responses can lead to a reliable…

Best linear prediction (BLP) and penalized best linear prediction (PBLP) are techniques for combining sources of information to produce task scores, section scores, and composite test scores. The report examines issues to consider in operational implementation of BLP and PBLP in testing programs administered by ETS [Educational Testing Service].

A low-cost and simple setup to measure the densities of liquids is introduced herein. The results and reliability of this setup were evaluated for pure liquids, water-ethanol binary mixtures, and aqueous NaCl solutions. The constructed densitometer provided density values with acceptable relative errors (less than ±3.0%), which were compared to…

This study compared five common multilevel software packages via Monte Carlo simulation: HLM 7, M"plus" 7.4, R (lme4 V1.1-12), Stata 14.1, and SAS 9.4 to determine how the programs differ in estimation accuracy and speed, as well as convergence, when modeling multiple randomly varying slopes of different magnitudes. Simulated data…

When conducting experiments involving the measurement of physically related quantities, choosing an appropriate spacing for the experimental independent variable is a crucial procedure whose consequences may go beyond data graphical visualization. This is particularly true if the measured quantities are nonlinearly related and experimental errors…

We present a new paradigm that allows simplified testing of multiparameter hypotheses in the presence of incomplete data. The proposed technique is a straight-forward procedure that combines the benefits of two powerful data analytic tools: multiple imputation and nested-model ?2 difference testing. A Monte Carlo simulation study was conducted to…

We examine longitudinal extensions of the two-method measurement design, which uses planned missingness to optimize cost-efficiency and validity of hard-to-measure constructs. These designs use a combination of two measures: a "gold standard" that is highly valid but expensive to administer, and an inexpensive (e.g., survey-based)…

We sought to develop a method for measuring imitation accuracy objectively in primary school children. Children imitated a model drawing shapes on the same computer-tablet interface they saw used in video clips, allowing kinematics of model and observers' actions to be directly compared. Imitation accuracy was reported as a correlation reflecting…