Aspects of Emic and Etic Measurement: Lessons From Mary Poppins

This article describes emic and etic approaches to measurement in terms of a process of associating indicators and constructs. In this process, it is important to establish evidence of an adequate range of indicators and a relevant association of indicators and constructs and to recognize that such evidence places bounds on the interpretation of measurement outcomes. A passage from one of P. L. Travers’s Mary Poppins stories provides a counterpoint for this article’s discussion of these key aspects of emic and etic methods of measuring human individuality.