Psychiatric, business, and psychological applications of fundamental measurement models

This chapter is a collection of four studies applying probabilistic models to problems outside of education. Denmark's Allerup, Bech, and Loldrup present the calibration of the Visual Analogue Scale, used for measuring pain, and the use of this scale for measuring the reductions in pain brought about via the administration of three different treatments. Alvarez and Banegil's study is a calibration of the criteria by which implementation of Just In Time and Total Quality Management techniques are recognized in Spain. Styles tests the assertion of sociologist O.D. Duncan that the reason for low correlations between measures of attitude and behaviour may be because these variables may not involve separate constructs but simply differing amounts of the same construct. Her conjoint measurement study of data from an Australian survey shows just how much harder it is to do than to say. Finally, from Israel, Tenenbaum presents the results of two studies involving the relationship of anxiety to performance among athletes, showing that commonly used instruments do not produce data of the consistency needed for fit to probabilistic conjoint measurement models in these applications.