Gideon Jan (Don) Mellenbergh (9 August 1938 – 27 March 2021) was a Dutch
psychologist, who was Professor of Psychological methods at the
University of Amsterdam
The University of Amsterdam (abbreviated as UvA, nl, Universiteit van Amsterdam) is a public research university located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The UvA is one of two large, publicly funded research universities in the city, the other being ...
, known for his contribution in the field of
psychometrics
Psychometrics is a field of study within psychology concerned with the theory and technique of measurement. Psychometrics generally refers to specialized fields within psychology and education devoted to testing, measurement, assessment, and ...
, and
Social Research Methodology.
Biography
Born and raised in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
, Mellenbergh received his MA in psychology from the University of Amsterdam in 1965, and his PhD in psychology in 1971 under the supervision of Professor
Adriaan de Groot
Adrianus Dingeman (Adriaan) de Groot ( Santpoort, 26 October 1914 – Schiermonnikoog, 14 August 2006) was a Dutch chess master and psychologist, who conducted some of the most famous chess experiments of all time in the 1940s-60. In 1946 h ...
with a dissertation about
educational tests, entitled "Studies in studietoetsen" (Studies on educational tests).
[dhr. prof.dr. G.J. (Don) Mellenbergh]
Vitae. University of Amsterdam, Accessed May 18, 2013
In 1965 Mellenbergh started his academic career as Assistant professor Psychological Methods at the University of Amsterdam. Late 1969 he was visiting research assistant at the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...
, studying educational methods. From 1975 to 1978 he was Associate professor
Psychometrics
Psychometrics is a field of study within psychology concerned with the theory and technique of measurement. Psychometrics generally refers to specialized fields within psychology and education devoted to testing, measurement, assessment, and ...
at the
University of Utrecht
Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollme ...
, and then returned to the University of Amsterdam where he was Professor, Psychological Methods from 1982 to 2003. Among his PhD students were
Henk Koppelaar
Hendrik (Henk) Koppelaar (born February 1953) is a Dutch computer scientist and emeritus professor at the Delft University of Technology, knows for his work in knowledge engineering. and
Denny Borsboom
Denny Borsboom (born November 9, 1973) is a Dutch psychologist and psychometrician. He has been a professor of psychology at the University of Amsterdam since 2013. His work has included applying network theory to the study of mental disorders and ...
. In 1991 and 1993 he had been Visiting professor at the
University of Santiago de Compostela
, established =
, type = Public
, budget = €228 million (2011)
, rector = Prof. Dr. Antonio López Díaz
, city = Santiago de Compostela
, state = Galicia
, country = Spain
, undergrad = 23,835
, postgrad = 1,716
, doctoral = 2,697
...
, Spain.
Mellenbergh performed many administrative functions in Dutch research institutes, is member of the
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) since 1993, the
Psychometric Society, the
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 133,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It ha ...
(APA), the
International Statistical Institute (ISI), and the Interuniversity Graduate School of Psychometrics and Sociometrics (IOPS). And Mellenbergh was editor at
Psychometrika
''Psychometrika'' is the official journal of the Psychometric Society, a professional body devoted to psychometrics and quantitative psychology. The journal covers quantitative methods for measurement and evaluation of human behavior, including ...
, on the editorial Board of ''Psychological Methods'' and member of the editorial council of ''
Psicothema
''Psicothema'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed open access scientific journal covering psychology. It was established in 1989 in Asturias, Spain, and is published by the University of Oviedo's Psychology Faculty and the Psychological Association of ...
''.
He died on 27 March 2021.
Publications
Books and papers, a selection:
* 1970. ''An Application of a Model of Rasch''
* 1999. ''Research Methodology in the Social, Behavioural and Life Sciences''. With
Herman J. Ader
* 2008
Advising on Research Methods: a consultant's companion'' With
Herman J. Adèr and
David J. Hand (eds.). Johannes van Kessel Publ. p. 244.
* 2011. ''A Conceptual Introduction to Psychometrics''
Articles, a selection:
*
Flier, H., Mellenbergh, G. J.,
Adèr, H. J., & Wijn, M. (1984). An iterative item bias detection method. Journal of educational measurement, 21(2), 131-145.
References
External links
Gideon J. Mellenbergh webpage at the University of Amsterdam.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mellenbergh, Gideon J.
1938 births
2021 deaths
Dutch psychologists
University of Amsterdam alumni
University of Amsterdam faculty
Scientists from Amsterdam
Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Quantitative psychologists