Open-ended questionnaires and projective tests often elicit responses that are capable of more than one interpretation. As a safeguard against biased and idiosyncratic interpretations, most textbooks rightly recommend the use of several independent judges or coders. But their recommendations on the “training” of coders leave much to be desired, since they provide too many opportunities for interpersonal influences. This paper reviews the whole problem area and suggests alternative modes of instruction in the form of programed texts or algorithmic flow charts.
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