Grounding Meaning and Warranting Inference in Educational Measurement: Theory, Epistemology, and Practice in Mislevy's Sociocognitive Framework

Abstract Educational measurement has long been characterized by a productive tension between technical sophistication and the conceptual frameworks used to interpret what measurement outcomes mean. While the field has produced major methodological advances, comparatively fewer contributions have reshaped how psychometric evidence is connected to theories of cognition, epistemology, and use. This article examines Robert J. Mislevy's Sociocognitive Foundations of Educational Measurement as a landmark effort to address this imbalance. We argue that Mislevy's framework advances the field along three dimensions: reframing constructs through sociocognitive theories of learning and practice; grounding assessment in an epistemology of evidentiary reasoning under uncertainty, aligned with Bayesian inference; and articulating a principled pluralism across methodological traditions. Central to this contribution is a disciplined stance toward inference that treats epistemic restraint as rigor. We discuss the framework's relevance for contemporary challenges, including fairness, socially responsible use, and artificial intelligence in assessment.