Scales of measurements: An introduction and a selected bibliography

Khurshid, Anwer; Sahai, Hardeo

doi:10.1007/bf01097155

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…However, Stevens' measurement scales provided no satisfactory resolution to the controversy as to how to handle psychological constructs. Khurshid and Sahai (1993) offered a bibliography with as many as 300 selected references about Stevens' levels of measurement and their relationship to statistics. One of the most prominent sources of controversy is the distinction between ordinal and interval scales.…”

Section: The Ferguson Committeementioning

confidence: 99%

Controversy in human factors constructs and the explosive use of the NASA-TLX: a measurement perspective

Winter

2014

Cogn Tech Work

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Situation awareness and workload are popular constructs in human factors science. It has been hotly debated whether these constructs are scientifically credible, or whether they should merely be seen as folk models. Reflecting on the works of psychophysicist Stanley Smith Stevens and of measurement theorist David Hand, we suggest a resolution to this debate, namely that human factors constructs are situated towards the operational end of a representational-operational continuum. From an operational perspective, human factors constructs do not reflect an empirical reality, but they aim to predict. For operationalism to be successful, however, it is important to have suitable measurement procedures available. To explore how human factors constructs are measured, we focused on (mental) workload and its measurement by questionnaires and applied a culturomic analysis to investigate secular trends in word use. The results reveal an explosive use of the NASA Task Load Index (TLX). Other questionnaires, such as the Cooper Harper rating scale and the Subjective Workload Assessment Technique, show a modest increase, whereas many others appear short lived. We found no indication that the TLX is improved by iterative self-correction towards optimal validity, and we argue that usage of the NASA-TLX has become dominant through a Matthew effect. Recommendations for improving the quality of human factors research are provided.

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Section: The Ferguson Committeementioning

confidence: 99%

Controversy in human factors constructs and the explosive use of the NASA-TLX: a measurement perspective

Winter

2014

Cogn Tech Work

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“…Each entry of the matrix u pq is a measure of the attributes' usefulness-intensity. Matrix cell n ij represents the intensity of attribute i in feature j, which is expressed using a 10point ratio scale (Table II) which are valid for arithmetic operations (Khurshid and Sahai, 1993). The intensity measure is a quantity relative to an exemplar to anchor the comparisons.…”

Section: Operations: Idea Operators and Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Matrix representation of ideas: stimulating creativity using matrix Algebra

Tang

2019

IJIS

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a fresh approach to stimulate individual creativity. It introduces a mathematical representation for creative ideas, six creativity operators and methods of matrix-algebra to evaluate, improve and stimulate creative ideas. Creativity begins with ideas to resolve a problem or tackle an opportunity. By definition, a creative idea must be simultaneously novel and useful. To inject analytic rigor into these concepts of creative ideas, the author introduces a feature-attribute matrix-construct to represent ideas, creativity operators that use ideas as operands and methods of matrix algebra. It is demonstrated that it is now possible to analytically and quantitatively evaluate the intensity of the variables that make an idea more, equal or less, creative than another. The six creativity operators are illustrated with detailed multi-disciplinary real-world examples. The mathematics and working principles of each creativity operator are discussed. Design/methodology/approach The unit of analysis is ideas, not theory. Ideas are man-made artifacts. They are represented by an original feature-attribute matrix construct. Using matrix algebra, idea matrices can be manipulated to improve their creative intensity, which are now quantitatively measurable. Unlike atoms and cute rabbits, creative ideas, do not occur in nature. Only people can conceive and develop creative ideas for embodiment in physical, non-physical forms, or in a mix of both. For example, as widgets, abstract theorems, business processes, symphonies, organization structures, and so on. The feature-attribute matrix construct is used to represent novelty and usefulness. The multiplicative product of these two matrices forms the creativity matrix. Six creativity operators and matrix algebra are introduced to stimulate and measure creative ideas. Creativity operators use idea matrices as operands. Uses of the six operators are demonstrated using multi-disciplinary real-world examples. Metrics for novelty, usefulness and creativity are in ratio scales, grounded on the Weber–Fechner Law. This law is about persons’ ability to discern differences in the intensity of stimuli. Findings Ideas are represented using feature-attribute matrices. This construct is used to represent novel, useful and creative ideas with more clarity and precision than before. Using matrices, it is shown how to unambiguously and clearly represent creative ideas endowed with novelty and usefulness. It is shown that using matrix algebra, on idea matrices, makes it possible to analyze multi-disciplinary, real-world cases of creative ideas, with clarity and discriminatory power, to uncover insights about novelty and usefulness. Idea-matrices and the methods of matrix algebra have strong explanatory and predictive power. Using of matrix algebra and eigenvalue analyses, of idea-matrices, it is demonstrated how to quantitatively rank ideas, features and attributes of creative ideas. Matrix methods operationalize and quantitatively measure creativity, novelty and usefulness. The specific elementary variables that characterize creativity, novelty and usefulness factors, can now be quantitatively ranked. Creativity, novelty and usefulness factors are not considered as monolithic, irreducible factors, vague “lumpy” qualitative factors, but as explicit sets of elementary, specific and measurable variables in ratio scales. This significantly improves the acuity and discriminatory power in the analyses of creative ideas. The feature-attribute matrix approach and its matrix operators are conceptually consistent and complementary with key extant theories engineering design and creativity. Originality/value First to define and specify ideas as feature-attribute matrices. It is demonstrated that creative ideas, novel ideas and useful ideas can be analytically and unambiguously specified and measured for creativity. It is significant that verbose qualitative narratives will no longer be the exclusive means to specify creative ideas. Rather, qualitative narratives will be used to complement the matrix specifications of creative ideas. First to specify six creativity operators enabling matrix algebra to operate on idea-matrices as operands to generate new ideas. This capability informs and guides a person’s intuition. The myth and dependency, on non-repeatable or non-reproducible serendipity, flashes of “eureka” moments or divine inspiration, can now be vacated. Though their existence cannot be ruled out. First to specify matrix algebra and eigen-value methods of quantitative analyses of feature-attribute matrices to rank the importance of elementary variables that characterize factors of novelty, usefulness and creativity. Use of verbose qualitative narratives of novelty, usefulness and creativity as monolithic “lumpy” factors can now be vacated. Such lumpy narratives risk being ambiguous, imprecise, unreliable and non-reproducible, Analytic and quantitative methods are more reliable and consistent. First to define and specify a method of “attacking the negatives” to systematically pinpoint the improvements of an idea’s novelty, usefulness and creativity. This procedure informs and methodically guides the improvements of deficient ideas.

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“…A noun is the name of a variable, which can have a value. The value can be categorical, nominal, interval or a ratio (Khurshid and Hardeo, 1993 because the possibility exists, for information, knowledge and intelligence, to be further obtained or developed. The significance of this brief description about datum is that it permits comparisons and measurements.…”

Section: Datum and Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Data, information, knowledge and intelligence

Tang

Yanine

Valenzuela³

2016

IJIS

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Purpose This paper is about data, information, knowledge and judgment; their definitions and their parallel cognitive dimensionalities; and it is about their implications in innovation. This paper aims to discuss and illustrate the implications of this cognitive framework on innovation science and on the ability to innovate. To that end, the authors use a progression of examples and cases to identify and discuss new challenges and predicaments in innovation. Design/methodology/approach The authors discuss how the development of Chemistry, as a science, inspires this work. But the authors have purposely eschewed examples from mathematics or the natural sciences. Instead, the authors study business examples because they are more readily understood. However, the implications they reveal, on innovation, are no less significant. The explosive volume, complexity and requirements – for data, information, knowledge and intelligence in business – are arguably more messy, demanding and difficult. They are sociotechnical problems of unprecedented scale and qualitative change. Findings The authors frame their conclusion as the mega-nano hypothesis, which asserts that problems, at this new scale and qualitative difference, cannot be solved with conventional thinking and tired mental models. They obstruct the ability to innovate and impede creative thinking about theory. Originality/value The mega-nano hypothesis is consistent with historical trajectories in scientific development. Namely, when there are mega or nano changes of scale and frame-breaking phenomena, a new science is required to address the new and unprecedented problems that emerge.

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Scales of measurements: An introduction and a selected bibliography

Cited by 17 publications

References 24 publications

Controversy in human factors constructs and the explosive use of the NASA-TLX: a measurement perspective

Controversy in human factors constructs and the explosive use of the NASA-TLX: a measurement perspective

Matrix representation of ideas: stimulating creativity using matrix Algebra

Data, information, knowledge and intelligence

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