Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA.
Int J Behav Med. 2020 Jun;27(3):262-266. doi: 10.1007/s12529-020-09899-0.
Accurate estimation in statistical models depends on sample size but also, critically, reliability of the measure. Physiometrics is the equivalent of psychometrics for measures such as sex hormones, catabolic hormones, and products of the immune system.
There are multiple ways to measure physiometrics, from simple correlation to complex generalizability theory designs. Depending on the design, these estimates can provide information about equivalency (e.g., the correlation between two measurements taken close together in time) or stability (e.g., the correlation between two measurements taken farther apart in time).
The physiometrics of salivary measures including cortisol, α-amylase, testosterone, and cytokines range from highly stable, requiring only a single sample, to highly unstable, requiring multiple samples to achieve generalizability to longer periods of time. However, generalizability is relative to the study design, and only some designs call for stable and generalizable measures.
Both dedicated physiometric studies and more reporting of physiometrics in psychoneuroendocrinology and psychoneuroimmunology will improve the quality of salivary bioscience study designs in the future.
统计模型中的准确估计不仅取决于样本量，还取决于测量的可靠性。生理计量学是衡量性激素、分解代谢激素和免疫系统产物等指标的心理计量学的等价物。
有多种方法可以测量生理计量学，从简单的相关性到复杂的可推广性理论设计。根据设计，这些估计可以提供关于等效性（例如，在时间上接近的两次测量之间的相关性）或稳定性（例如，在时间上相隔较远的两次测量之间的相关性）的信息。
唾液测量的生理计量学，包括皮质醇、α-淀粉酶、睾酮和细胞因子，从高度稳定（只需一个样本）到高度不稳定（需要多个样本才能实现更长时间的可推广性）不等。然而，可推广性与研究设计有关，只有某些设计需要稳定和可推广的措施。
未来，专门的生理计量学研究以及更多的心理神经内分泌学和心理神经免疫学中的生理计量学报告，将提高唾液生物科学研究设计的质量。
