A comparison of measurement concepts across physical science and social science domains: Instrument design, calibration, and measurement

Abstract

Is there a framework common to measurement in both physical and social sciences? The answer to this question would determine to an important extent the possibility of building a shared measurement-related body of knowledge across these traditionally separate domains. In this paper, we outline a framework of the processes involved in the construction and use of measures that includes instrument design, instrument calibration, and ultimately measurement using the instrument. A comparison of these steps across the two domains reveals both (a) formal parallelism, and (b) important differences in the way calibration is intended and implemented. We examine the similarities and differences to determine whether this is a case of irreducible difference, or whether the similarities are such that measurement in the two domains can be viewed within a single conceptualization.