Critically Evaluate the use of Psychometrics and the Implications of it's Use

1. Psychology's Identity as an academic discipline

1.1. Social Subject or Science ?

1.1.1. Psychology trying to become more scientific ? should it even be considered a science ? Why do some people want psychology to be treated as a science ?

1.1.1.1. Attempts to be more scientific often encourage a reductionist approach towards understanding behaviour

2. Cognitive Neuroscience Implications

2.1. Knowledge of cognitive psychology can be improved by having a more scientific understanding of the brains cognitive processes

2.2. New connectionist models can be argued as being superior to current psychology

3. Over-reliance on P Values

3.1. Improved use of psychometric measures and inventory scales

3.2. Implications regarding the validity and replicability of quantitative research and empirical tests

3.3. Replicability crisis brought about by a fear of trying to publish non-significant data and dishonest practices such as "data dredging" and "p hacking"

4. Validity and Reliability

4.1. Psychometric tests can be subjective in nature, how are we suppose to form a consensus on wether a test accurately measures its constructs ?

4.2. Using standardised test to account for human behaviours and phenomenon can be a very reductionistic towards the subject