Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
The fact that at any instant in time uncountable trillions or quadrillions of individual water molecules are either entering or leaving the ocean makes the prospect of measuring the number of water molecules in the Atlantic Ocean absolutely impossible. The same observation applies to the prospect of counting every single grain of sand along the vast Atlantic Ocean shores.
However, neither Thorndike nor Ludlow would ever have argued that the Atlantic Ocean does not exist. Therefore, even at the macro level of ordinary matter (i.e. individual water molecules and grains of sand) the only defensible interpretation of the Thorndike/Ludlow expression is that it presumes the same concept as expressed by Galton. In that regard, there is no question that an unquantifiable phenomenon may indeed exist notwithstanding its defiance of measurement. the, the meaning of the phrase "If it exists, it can be measured; if it can't be measured, it doesn't exist" would be precisely what Galton argued in 1879: that no proposed volume of the ocean at the level of individual water molecules can be considered scientific simply because there are too many variables capable of being accounted for.
In fact, the physical world around us provides equally illustrative examples that refute the absolute interpretation of the Thorndike/Ludlow expression. Every cement structure consists of a finite number...
None of these can be measured accurately yet they all exist.
At the micro level, the absolute interpretation of the Thorndike/Ludlow position is absolutely false, by virtue of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle according to which the mere act of performing a measurement necessarily changes that which is being measured (Feynman, 1995; Hawking, 2002). Quantum uncertainty is understood by physicists to preclude any simultaneous accurate measurement of the relative position of a subatomic particle in space and the relative velocity of its motion. The Thorndike/Ludlow position applied to the quantum world would, therefore, preclude the existence of anything. Ultimately, it would seem that the Thorndike/Ludlow version of Galton's proposition is excessively narrow and all but meaningless without extraneous supposition.
References:
Feynman R. (1995). Six Easy Pieces. New York: Helix.
Hawking S. (2002). The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe.
Beverly Hills, CA: New Millennium Press.
Ludlow LH. (1998). "Galton: The First Psychometrician?" Popular Measurement (Spring
As emotionally intelligent employees are reportedly more content, conscientious and committed in the workplace, businesses and organizations are repeatedly advised to recruit and retain these individuals. Abraham (2006), nevertheless, reports that the strongest findings emerging from her study was.".. The effect of job control on emotional intelligence." She contends that emotionally intelligent employees will not just naturally thrive in their workplace; that the work environment needs to provide independence in
Psychological test or assessment method. "The Substance Abuse Questionnaire -- Adult Probation III Brief Description of the Test The recent release of one of the youngest convicted child murders in our nation's history, Lionel Tate, now an adult, into the general population, has highlighted the difficulty of determining if a former prisoner should be eligible for parole. Psychologists have attempted to answer this difficult and subjective question by designing the objectively-assessed test
Theory is a set of ideas that once implemented become practice. When looking at theory, it is important to see how it can be developed into practice and what some of the drawbacks are how they may occur. Experience often disproves or proves a theory and provides validation or termination of theory-based practices. If a theory is riddled with negative experiences when implemented, the theory is then proven to be
Personality Theories in Psychology To the layperson, the term personality is a generic descriptor for an individual's traits. However, personality has a more specific meaning to psychologists. According to Dan McAdams, "Personality psychology is the scientific study of the whole person" (McAdams, 2006, p.12, para.1). While different psychologists and their theories have become well-known enough to be referenced in casual conversation, there is still some confusion among laypeople about personality
Psychological and Socio-Cultural Theories of Risk Definition of Risk The term "risk" is often defined differently depending on the particular paradigm. For example, risk is economics is typically defined in terms of differences in possible monetary outcomes and individuals/corporations involved in risk -- seeking behavior are typically seeking higher monetary payoffs (Markowitz 1952). When clinical psychologists, sociologists, law enforcement officials, and lay individuals identify "risky behaviors" they are referring to a broader
Intelligence Over the years, there have been discussions surrounding the issue of intelligence and how it can be measured as well as what parameters determined who is more intelligent than the other. Controversy has surrounded the definition and measurement of intelligence and many scholars have opined that the controversy is mainly based on the fact that historically intelligence has been defined on the grounds of how much one knows rather