Abstract
Self-assessments of performance are commonly used in the human workplace, although compared to peer or supervisor ratings, they may be subject to positive biases or leniency. The use of subjective ratings scales in animal sciences is also common, although little consideration is usually given to possible rater bias. Dog handlers, work very closely and form strong relationships with their dogs and are also best placed to monitor dog performance since they often work in isolation. Previous work found ratings of search dog performance correlated well between experienced dog trainers, instructors, and scientists; but until now, there has been no investigation into ratings made by a dog's own handler. We compared handlers' subjective assessment of their own dog's search performance to scores given by other handlers and in a second study, to scores made by impartial raters. We found that handlers generally showed leniency; for example scoring their own dogs more favorably for Control (responsiveness to commands) and Strength of Indication. But the degree of bias varied with the trait being scored and between raters. Such differences may be attributable to greater desirability or importance of favorable scores for certain traits, or a lack of clarity of their precise meaning. Handlers may vary in susceptibility to bias due to differing levels of experience and the extent to which they view their dog's ability as dependent on their own. The exact causes require further investigation. We suggest working dog agencies provide rater-training to overcome leniency, improve reliability and validity, and to increase handler's motivation to provide accurate assessments. This study represents one of a series of steps to formulate robust, validated and evidence-based performance rating systems and has relevance to any situation where raters assess their own performance or others (particularly where they may have a vested interest in, or loyalty toward, the ratee).
Highlights
Search dog teams perform a vital role in law enforcement agencies, search and rescue teams and in the military, searching for targets as diverse as people, drugs, money, weapons, and explosives
Specialist medical detection dogs are effective in aiding the control of chronic life-threatening conditions by alerting their owners to physiological changes, Dog Handlers Show Positive Bias such as hypoglycaemia in patients with diabetes [3, 4]
We examined potential leniency in a group of operational dog handlers, testing whether subjective assessment of their own search performance was more favorable by comparing the scores they gave to their own dog’s search performance to scores given by other handlers (Study 1) and independent raters (Study 2)
Summary
Search dog teams perform a vital role in law enforcement agencies, search and rescue teams and in the military, searching for targets as diverse as people, drugs, money, weapons, and explosives. Many consider them to be, if not the most effective method [e.g., [1]], the fastest and most versatile method of detecting explosives [2]. To maintain standards of performance and maximize search/detection capability, organizations often monitor, and record various aspects of daily operational performance. This monitoring process is essential to address short-term training needs and for longer-term planning and changes in policy. If critical decisions are to be based on such data, it is imperative that the collection is robust, validated and evidence-based. We have embarked in a multi-stage process to develop an optimal data collection tool for military search dogs, which rates the most critical behavioral traits and presents them in the optimal way [5].
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