What can be measured? This is a key question for measurement in general and particularly for the measurement of quantities related to human perception and interpretation. Very recently, the following measurability criterion has been proposed (Rossi G B, Measurement 40 (2007) 545-562). A general procedure for ensuring the measurability of a characteristic comprises the following steps:
- Define the class of objects that manifest the characteristic
- Identify the empirical properties that define the characteristic
- Construct a reference measurement scale, that is select a set of standard objects “representative” of the possible manifestations of the characteristic and assign to each of them a measure that complies with empirical relations
- Find at least one empirical procedure for assigning measures to elements not included in the reference scale that comply with empirical relations.
It is therefore suggested that a characteristic x is measurable if it is possible for the above procedure to be satisfactorily applied to it .
What do you think of this proposal? How does it compare with your current knowledge and understanding of this subject, with your professional experience and with your vision?
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