Symposium - Improving measurement and psychological assessment

The science of psychology is underpinned by measurement. Without effective measurement, our theories of human behaviour are little more than philosophical ideas. Psychological theories are used to derive measurement tools, which in turn are used to inform our theoretical understanding - indeed, measurement and theory work hand in hand to inform our practice as psychologists. This symposium presents several research projects where we aim to improve measurement and assessment in adaptive behaviour, thinking style, mental health literacy, and epistemic cognition. While the projects vary greatly in content and methodology, the challenges of attempting to clearly define the constructs, synthesising existing literature, addressing known deficits in existing measurement, and operationalising a new measure are consistent. The importance of understanding the role of theory and measurement is critical to effective psychological practice, and the symposium will offer valuable insight for both researchers and clinicians.