Studying the Existence and Attributes of Consensus on Psychological Concepts by a Cognitive Psychometric Model

Psychological research can take a variety of directions while building on theoretical concepts that are commonly shared among the population of researchers. We investigate the question of how agreement or consensus on basic scientific concepts can be measured. Our approach to the problem is based on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of psychology 2015-03, Vol.128 (1), p.61-75
Main Authors: ORAVECZ, ZITA, FAUST, KATHERINE, BATCHELDER, WILLIAM H., LEVITIS, DANIEL A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analytical estimating
Answer keys
Behavior
Biology
Cognition
Cognitive ability
Cognitive models
Cognitive psychology
Concept Formation - physiology
Consensus
Consensus (Social sciences)
Datasets
Decision making
Eigenvalues
Female
Humans
Knowledge sharing
Male
Methods
Modeling
Models, Psychological
Parametric models
Physiological aspects
Psychological aspects
Psychology
Psychometrics
Psychometrics - methods
Quantitative psychology
Social Sciences
Stimulus
Terminology as Topic
Young Adult
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Summary:Psychological research can take a variety of directions while building on theoretical concepts that are commonly shared among the population of researchers. We investigate the question of how agreement or consensus on basic scientific concepts can be measured. Our approach to the problem is based on a state-of-the-art cognitive psychometric technique, implemented in the theoretical framework of cultural consensus theory. With this approach, consensus-based answers for questions exploring shared knowledge can be derived while basic factors of the human decision-making process are accounted for. An example of the approach is provided by examining the definition of behavior, based on responses from researchers and students. We conclude that the consensus definition of behavior is “a response by the whole individual to external or internal stimulus, influenced by the internal processes of the individual, and is typically not a developmental change.” The general goal of the article is to demonstrate the utility of a cultural consensus theory–based approach as a method for investigating what current, working definitions of scientific concepts are.
ISSN:0002-9556
1939-8298
DOI:10.5406/amerjpsyc.128.1.0061