ABSTRACT
In exercise science, the typical meaning of the word measurement refers to the act of assigning a symbol to each member of a group of individuals or objects based on the amount of a specific attribute each possesses. Evaluation, on the other hand, is a statement of quality, goodness, value, or merit about what was measured. The act of evaluation involves judgment and decision making, and the decision is usually based partially on measurements and partially on a knowledge of normative data. An element that affects measurement accuracy involves the clarity of the definition of the attribute to be assessed. As mentioned, validity deals with the truthfulness of a measurement. Three types of validity—content, criterion, and construct—and the kind of evidence necessary for each are discussed next. Objectivity is actually a subset of reliability. Measurements can be placed into four categories—nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio—based on the information they provide.
