Effect of Prior Experience, Access to Information and Level of Performance on Individual and Group Performance Ratings

Abstract

The effects of feedback, prior judging experience and the level of the performance being judged on individual and group ratings of the performances were determined. 36 experienced and 36 inexperienced gymnastic judges viewed a film containing 20 gymnastic performances of low, moderate and high caliber under conditions of complete, partial, and no feedback of information as to the ratings of the other judges in their respective groups. On the basis of conformity theory it was hypothesized that groups rating performances in an open system are more reliable and accurate in their ratings than are groups operating in partial or no-feedback conditions. Further, this tendency was hypothesized to become manifest more if performances are of low caliber as opposed to moderate or high caliber and if the observers are experienced at rating performances as opposed to inexperienced. While the data supported these hypotheses, only partial support was achieved for the hypothesis that intraindividual variability will be greatest among no-feedback and inexperienced groups. It was found that inexperienced judges were individually more variable in their ratings than experienced judges and that more intraindividual variability was displayed among ratings of low-level performances. Judges' ratings were compared to absolute criterion scores derived by a group of experts through various film analysis techniques.