Comparing Adjectival and Nonadjectival Rating Scale Responses against Performance Criteria

Abstract

Twenty-one student naval test pilots participated in a dual task experiment for the purpose of comparing the utility of adjectival and nonadjectival rating scales. Modified versions of the Cooper-Harper and McDonnell pilot rating scales were compared with the nonordinal, nonadjectival rating scale developed by Schufeldt. The primary task was a serially presented four-choice discrimination task with three levels of presentation rate. The secondary task was verbal requiring short term and long term memory dependent responses. Analyzing task demands in bits of information processed per second, provided a comparison of S's potential information processing load with his actual performance and subjective ratings. Results do not provide support for the superiority of any one rating scale in reflecting S's actual performance.