Some Technical Aspects of Observer Reliability as Indicated in Studies of the 'Talkies

The department of social science methodology at the Yale Institute of Human Relations has recently used motion pictures to study technical problems which cannot be solved adequately by data from life-situations. Three observers recorded simultaneously the behavior of a given character, noting on mimeographed recording blanks the occurrence of specific items within 5-second intervals. Two aspects of behavior were observed-language and physical contacts with persons. Fourteen films were veiwed, each a minimum of eight times. In analysis of the data, adjustment had to be made for discrepancies in the timing of events, caused by inadequately synchronized stop watches and differences in the running-speed of the same films at different times. The self-consistency of observers from observation to observation was noted. Improvement in records caused by practice and training, and the reliability of observers in recording the occurrence and in interpreting the nature of events according to predetermined definitions reached the maximum in the third of four observations

Character (mathematics) · Consistency (knowledge bases) · Data mining · Data reliability · Observer (physics) · Power (physics) · Reliability (semiconductor) · Statistics · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences · Mathematics · Psychology

• Character and personality tests

  Goodwin Watson•Psychological Bulletin•1933

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