Instrumentation in experimentation

This chapter discusses the use of instruments in experimentation. It examines the concept of measurement, considering what people might choose to measure and then, how people can measure using instrumentation. The chapter describes the basic components of a measurement system and explains its successive functions. It then illustrates different types of measurement systems with examples of how instrumentation has been used in human performance. A measurement system is a configuration of elements that interact with each other to quantify a specific phenomenon for assessment, analysis or control purposes. Accuracy and precision express the quality of data that a system will measure. Measuring any phenomenon without the assistance of instrumentation generally leads to data of nominal or ordinal levels. A benefit of using instrumentation may be that it provides more information. Measurement tools with quantitative scales give greater resolution, a higher level of detail, than qualitative scales.