When is measurement good? Evidence, validity, and values

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• Eran Tal (McGill University)
• Thursday 06 November 2025, 15:30-17:00
• Hopkinson Lecture Theatre, New Museums Site.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Ahmad Elabbar.

The quality of a measurement procedure may be evaluated, among other criteria, by (i) the quality of knowledge it produces about the measurand, (ii) the relevance of its results for guiding human decision making and action, and (iii) the desirability of its impacts on individuals, society, and nature. These criteria are compatible in principle, but their application involves conflicting commitments regarding the aims and methods of measurement. I call these distinct sets of commitments ‘modes of measurement quality evaluation’, and show that value trade-offs are insufficient to reconcile them. I illustrate these claims using examples from the contemporary measurement of time and mental health.

This talk is part of the Departmental Seminars in History and Philosophy of Science series.

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