Change in the Modulus of Judgmental Scale: An Inadequate Explanation for the Repetition Effect in Judgments of Grammaticality

Abstract

Nagata reported that repeated presentation of sentences made the judgment criterion more stringent in judgments of grammaticality of the sentences. This study examined whether the shift in judgments could be explained by change in the modulus of the scale of judgments, i.e., the change produced when the same rating scale was applied for the two successive judgments. 12 students were asked to rate the grammaticality of sentences twice, without the sentences being presented repeatedly. No shift in judgment criterion was found between the two ratings. This finding suggests the repeated presentation of sentences rather than the change in scale modulus produced the observed shift in judgments in the previous study.