Constructing Measures introduces a way to understand the advantages and disadvantages of measurement instruments. It explains the ways to use such instruments, and how to apply these methods to develop new instruments or adapt old ones, based on item response modeling and construct references.
Now in its second edition, this book focuses on the steps taken while constructing an instrument, and breaks down the "building blocks" that make up an instrument—the construct map, the design plan for the items, the outcome space, and the statistical measurement model. The material covers a variety of item formats, including multiple-choice, open-ended, and performance items, projects, portfolios, Likert and Guttman items, behavioral observations, and interview protocols. Each chapter includes an overview of the key concepts, related resources for further investigation, and exercises and activities. A variety of examples from the behavioral and social sciences and education—including achievement and performance testing, attitude measures, health measures, and general sociological scales—demonstrate the application of the material. New to this edition are additional example contexts including a cognitive/achievement example, an attitude example, and a behavioral example and new concentrations on specific measurement issues and practices such as standard-setting, computer-delivery and reporting, and going beyond the Likert response format.
Constructing Measures is an invaluable text for undergraduate and graduate courses on item, test, or instrument development; measurement; item response theory; or Rasch analysis taught in a variety of departments, including education, statistics, and psychology. The book also appeals to practitioners who develop instruments, including industrial/organizational, educational, and school psychologists; health outcomes researchers; program evaluators; and sociological measurers.
1. The BEAR Assessment System: Overview of the "4 Building Blocks" approach 2. Construct Maps 3. The Items Design 4. The Outcome Space 5. The Wright Map 6. Evaluating and Extending the Statistical Model 7. Trustworthiness, Precision and Reliability 8. Trustworthiness, Validity and Fairness 9. Building on the Building Blocks. 10. Beyond the Building Blocks
Biography
Mark Wilson is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in measurement and statistics. His research focuses on the establishment of a framework for measurement practice informed by the philosophy of measurement, on statistical models that are aligned with scientific models of the construct, and on instruments to measure new constructs.
"I think it would be hard to overstate the importance of Mark Wilson’s Constructing Measures for researchers and practitioners engaged in the construction and validation of measures of human properties. This volume provides usable, concrete guidance for constructing instruments including but not limited to educational tests, survey-based measures, and psychological assessments, and is particularly remarkable for its comprehensive treatment of the entire (iterative) process of instrument design, including construct definition, item writing and vetting, and quality control via thoughtfully chosen psychometric models (in particular, the Rasch model and its extensions). Further, it is written in an accessible style and would be a great entry point for non-specialists, but also provides sufficient rigor for those who wish to more deeply understand both the mathematical and conceptual foundations of measurement."
Andrew Maul, Associate Professor of Education, UC Santa Barbara
"Professor Wilson is one of the world's outstanding leaders in measurement. I have used the first edition of his book in all of my graduate courses on measurement. His book takes the complex process of constructing measures, and breaks it into four building blocks. These building blocks can be used by anyone who seeks to create useful and defensible measures in the human sciences. The new edition promises to introduce a new generation of students and researchers to the essential aspects of constructing measures."
George Engelhard, Professor of Educational Measurement and Policy, The University of Georgia
"This volume is an excellent and important update to the original Constructing Measures. Broadly applicable to educational measurement and assessment, it should be in every university library collection. Faculty and students will find this volume helpful for many courses."
Kathleen Scalise, Professor at the University of Oregon (Education Studies and School Psychology)
"Twenty years ago, the first edition of this book opened for me the door to the magic world of measurement. In this second edition, Mark unpacks complex and abstract measurement concepts into easy-to-follow building blocks, grounded in real-world examples. This book is an ideal choice for instructors who are about to teach an introductory course in measurement and for students eager to foray into the measurement world."
Lydia Liu, Principal Research Director, Education Testing Service
