For immediate release: I have been asked by the Olympic Committee to look into the question of how the use of ordinals to determine rank may have affected the outcome of the judging of the pairs competition. At a press conference earlier today I announced my findings.
It wasn't the ordinals' fault. Using interval data, I calculated the average combined scores awarded to the Canucks and the Ruskies. My findings: Canucks: 5.833 Ruskies: 5.817 Outcome: Canucks by a hair By ordinals awarded: 1st for Canada: 4 judges 1st for Russia: 3 judges tie: 2 judges Outcome: Canucks again But the Olympic rules require that ties be broken using the presentation marks over technical merit. So both ties were broken in favour of the Ruskies. Final outcome: 1st for Canada: 4 judges 1st for Russia: 5 judges So what done us in was the tie-breaking rule. And, apparently, a crooked judge (see today's news). -Stephen ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Stephen Black, Ph.D. tel: (819) 822-9600 ext 2470 Department of Psychology fax: (819) 822-9661 Bishop's University e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Lennoxville, QC J1M 1Z7 Canada Department web page at http://www.ubishops.ca/ccc/div/soc/psy Check out TIPS listserv for teachers of psychology at: http://www.frostburg.edu/dept/psyc/southerly/tips/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
