Abstract

BISHOP, Evan  and  CAMIRE, Martin. A Conceptual Looking Back(for)wards to Foster Justice in Psychometrics. Aval. psicol. [online]. 2025, vol.24, n.spe1, e25458.  Epub Sep 05, 2025. ISSN 1677-0471.  https://doi.org/10.15689/ap.2025.24.e25458.

Although psychometrics has contributed to many facets of research in psychology, it has a troubling history that must be grappled with. With close ties to eugenics and colonialism, there is a need to interrogate how the foundations of psychometrics shape systems of thought that continue to perpetuate epistemic injustice (i.e., unjust practices related to matters of knowledge). The purpose of this commentary paper is to enact a conceptual looking back(for)wards to foster justice in psychometrics. The paper is divided into five sections: (a) a brief historical overview of psychology, specifically examining its positivistic and Eurocentric values; (b) an interrogation into the roots of psychometrics and its close ties to eugenics; (c) a discussion of coloniality and epistemic injustice in psychometrics; (d) an exploration of epistemic witnessing to instigate new decolonial directions for psychometrics; and (e) some concluding thoughts on responsibility and response-ability.

Keywords : psychometrics; coloniality; epistemic injustice; epistemic witnessing; Eurocentric.

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