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Topic: Observer effects

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	[No title]
		The Pervasiveness of Observer Effects Because human perception and judgment are inherently susceptible to influence, it is not surprising that some behavioral scientists have concentrated their research in examining all manner of observer effects.
		The Enhancement of Observer Effects by Desire and Motivation To this point, we have discussed the problem of observer effects mostly in terms of the impact of mere expectations of what an observation is likely to reveal.
		IIIMinimizing Observer Effects in Forensic Science: Conclusions and Recommendations As a result of the growing number of DNA exonerations, and the analyses of those cases to determine what went wrong, it is beginning to appear that forensic science contributes more to convicting the innocent than anyone previously suspected.
	law.shu.edu /faculty/fulltime_faculty/risingmi/Risinger.22.final.doc (14558 words)

	Reasons to challenge digital fingerprint evidence
		At the most general level, observer effects are errors of apprehension, recording, recall, computation, or interpretation that result from some trait or state of the observer.
		Very often observer effects result from expectations about the results of an observation, and such expectations often come either from explicit messages or from subtle cues about the thing to be observed.
		Subjective judgment and interpretation by the human observer remain the principal methods of reaching conclusions in most forensic disciplines, and the working environment of the forensic scientist is not lacking in sources of expectations or outcome preferences.
	www.clpex.com /Articles/ObserverEffectsinForensicScience.htm (14646 words)

	Dissertation Archive, WMU Graduate College
		In spite of the copious amount of research conducted to examine the effects of observer presence on various physiological and task performances (Guerin, 1993), a study directed towards discovering the functional properties of observer presence - why people change their behavior when an observer is present - has not yet been conducted.
		The evocative/eliciting effects of the presence of an observer on behavior are consistent with a number of behavioral stimulus functions, and could serve any number of stimulus functions depending upon the behavioral history of an individual.
		The current study investigated the behavioral function of observer presence by systematically manipulating (a) the presence/absence of an observer, and (b) the operation of a performance-contingent observation termination contingency.
	www.wmich.edu /grad/dissertation/dis-archive/rohn.html (385 words)

	[No title]
		Direct physiological effects of noise on wildlife, if present, are difficult to measure in the field; telemetric measurement of physiological variables such as heart rate has met with more success technically than as an indicator of health and survival.
		The author suggests that noises novel to the latter birds had effects whereas louder noises to which the bombing range birds were habituated had no effects; the tentativeness of the conclusion is reflected in the title of the report.
		Playback experiments indicated that the localization effects were a result of noise, not pollution or other effects of vehicles, and spatial proximity to noise suggested that noise was responsible for the other effects as well.
	nhsbig.inhs.uiuc.edu /bioacoustics/noise_and_wildlife.txt (19589 words)

	FACTORS INFLUENCING COUNTS IN AN ANNUAL SURVEY OF SNAIL KITES IN FLORIDA
		An observer day was considered to be one observer for one full day, or two observers for 0.5 days each, etc. We estimated ob- server days to the nearest 0.25 days (assuming a 12- h day) that we could reasonably determine from the original records of each observer.
		The effect of neglecting to include these covariates in analyses of population change depends on the magnitude of the tem- poral component of their variation.
		Although the effects of variation in detection rates can sometimes be mitigated by including controls for factors related to detection rates, it is often difficult to distinguish factors wholly related to detection rates from factors related to population size.
	elibrary.unm.edu /sora/Auk/v116n02/p0316-p0323.html (8269 words)

	Proceedings of the International Conference on integrated Fisheries Monitoring (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Because it is also one of the key elements in determining the effects of fishing on ecosystems, the emphasis of this paper is on the estimation of incidental mortality caused by fishing practices.
		The approach is illustrated using the observer programme which estimates the discards of blue grenadier by the trawl fishery off eastern and southern Australia and the observer programme that which estimates by-catch of Hooker's sea lions in the fishery for arrow squid off southern New Zealand.
		Similarly, observer programmes (such as the ISMP) may relate to several species, and the multi-species nature of the fishery and the accompanying management objectives have to be taken into account in the evaluation of the benefits of such observer programmes.
	www.fao.org /docrep/x3900e/X3900e4.htm (15964 words)

	NAN Position Paper: Third Party Observers (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Observer effects can be such that performance on more complex tasks declines, in contrast to enhanced performance on overlearned tasks, leading to a spuriously magnified picture of neuropsychological deficit (McCaffrey et al., 1996).
		Observer effects can be magnified by the presence of involved parties who have a significant relationship with the patient (e.g.
		Observer effects also extend to situations such as court reporters, attorneys, attorney representatives, viewing from behind one-way mirrors and to electronic means of observation, such as the presence of a camera which can be a significant distraction (McCaffrey et al., 1996).
	nanonline.org /content/pages/prof/thirdparty.shtm (683 words)

	D. Michael Risinger et al., The Daubert/Kumho Implications of Observer Effects in Forensic Science: Hidden Problems of ...
		With that in mind, this article examines the phenomenon of "observer effects" and the vulnerability of forensic science examinations to such observer effects.
		Observer effects occur when the results of an examination are distorted by the context and state of the observer, including the observer's expectations and desires.
		The article reviews the findings and practices of a range of scientific fields concerning such observer effects and their control, with special attention to the relevant research and theory from cognitive and social psychology.
	www.law.berkeley.edu /journals/clr/library/risinger02.html (249 words)

	Cognitive bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Cognitive bias is any of a wide range of observer effects identified in cognitive science and social psychology including very basic statistical, social attribution, and memory errors that are common to all human beings.
		And biases related to probablity and decision making significantly affect the scientific method which is deliberately designed to minimize such bias from any one observer.
		For example, the false consensus effect may be viewed as a reasonable estimation based on a single known data point, your own opinion, instead of a false belief that other people agree with you.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Cognitive_bias (410 words)

	PBA Group Publications: 1997-1998 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		This study examines the time needed for erect and supine observers to distinguish between smiling and frowning faces that are presented at various orientations.
		The effects of orientation are of particular interest in space, where astronauts often view one another in orientations other than the upright.
		The observers were required to respond as rapidly and accurately as possible to identify if the face presented was smiling or frowning.
	pbagroup.arc.nasa.gov /publications1997-1998.php (834 words)

	Cognitive bias - Open Encyclopedia (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Cognitive bias is any of a wide range of observer effects identified in cognitive science, including very basic statistical and memory errors that are common to all human beings (first identified by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman) and drastically skew the reliability of anecdotal and legal evidence.
		They also significantly affect the scientific method which is deliberately designed to minimize such bias from any one observer.
		Bias arises from various life, loyalty and local risk and attention concerns that are difficult to separate or codify.
	open-encyclopedia.com /Cognitive_bias (125 words)

	DTRA Fact Sheet (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Observer programs, conducted at Shots DOG, SUGAR, and UNCLE, generally involved lectures and briefings on the effects of nuclear weapons, observation of a nuclear detonation, and a subsequent tour of a display of military equipment exposed to the detonation.
		The observers, who were from the Army, witnessed the shot from a location 9 kilometers south of ground zero.
		A rem is a unit that quantifies the biological effect of ionizing radiation (gamma, x-ray, beta, neutron or alpha) on man. Ionizing radiation is any radiation capable of displacing electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby producing ions.
	www.dtra.mil /press_resources/fact_sheets/print/index.cfm?factsheet=ntpr_busjang.cfm (1840 words)

	A Direct Test of the Lorentz Length Contraction (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		We use several observers stationed along the embankment to mark the location adjacent to the front of the train and the end of the train at some particular time measured in the reference frame of the embankment observers.
		Aberration occurs independently of the motion of the source, and is an effect established locally by the velocity addition formula as applied to the motion of light from the source with respect to the motion of the observer.
		The only effect the galaxies own proper motion has with respect to length contraction is that the angle subtended from one end of the galaxy to the other in the direction of motion is foreshortened.
	renshaw.teleinc.com /papers/simiee2/simiee2.stm (6131 words)

	Newsletter (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		observer effects) where an examiner’s perceptions and inferences are affected by domain-irrelevant data (e.g., an investigator’s desired outcome, the conclusions of other experts on the same case).
		Given the indiscernible nature of observer effects, accomplished and well-intentioned forensic examiners can offer genuine conclusions that are imprecise and erroneous even when they are employing well validated forensic techniques.
		With respect to observer effect issues, the key is to elicit any evidence that may call into question the forensic examiner’s alleged objectivity.
	www.law-forensic.com /iacdl_newsletter_summer_2003.htm (8593 words)

	SSRN-The Daubert/Kumho Implications of Observer Effects in Forensic Science: Hidden Problems of Expectation and ...
		With that in mind, this article examines the phenomoenon of "observer effects" and the vulnerability of forensic science examinations to such observer effects.
		The article reviews the findings and practices of a range of scientific fields concerning such observer effects and their control, with special attention to the relevant research and theory from cognative and social psychology.
		Finally, the article analyzes the current state of the law under Kumho Tire and Rule 702, concluding that the results of forensic science examinations are in danger of being excluded if their reliability continues to be undermined by the failure to control observer effects.
	papers.ssrn.com /sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=301408 (422 words)

	Patuxent Product Abstract (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		These counts are confounded, however, by nuisance effects including observer effects and spatial correlation between counts.
		Current methods poorly accommodate both observer and spatial effects because modeling these spatially autocorrelated counts within a hierarchical framework is not practical using standard statistical approaches.
		The inherent hierarchy in the model was from counts occurring, in part, as a function of observers within survey routes within years.
	www.pwrc.usgs.gov /prodabs/ab10040305/abs6284.htm (379 words)

	Bias - Terrestrial Salamander Monitoring Program (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		Time of year, observer effects, rain events, temperature, and soil moisture are all factors that fall within this category.
		Unlike many monitoring techniques for amphibians, observer effects are largely confined here to mistakes in identification and not to the skill of the observer in hunting or spotting salamanders.
		The effect of changes in the abundance and type of natural cover objects on counts under artificial cover objects can and needs to be investigated.
	www.pwrc.usgs.gov /sally/sally2.html (1990 words)

	Manure and Mortality Management Swine Odor Survey (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		The effects of temperature, humidity, and wind speed were minor to non-significant.
		Because all observers were not on the same farms on the same dates, differences in the means and variances of the values are not going to be due solely to differences in individuals, but will also be influenced by farm-based factors and weather conditions.
		The effect of additives on odors associated with land application of manure was not possible because the survey did not sample any application events on the additives farms.
	www.aragriculture.org /agengineering/anmanmortmgmt/swineodorsurvey (6395 words)

	Observer Selection Effects
		The main argument against SIA seems to be Bostrom's "Presumptuous Philosopher": SIA favors universes with more observers, and hence any theory (possibly preposterous [with a very low prior]) with a large enough number of observers is very likely to be true compared to a theory with far fewer observers.
		Outcomes in which observers are common are not favored relative to outcomes where there is just one.
		Theories in which observers are common are not favored relative to theories where there is just one.
	cosmologist.info /anthropic.html (1128 words)

	PA 765: Participant Observation
		The downside of participant observation as a data-gathering technique is increased threat to the objectivity of the researcher, unsystematic gathering of data, reliance on subjective measurement, and possible observer effects (observation may distort the observed behavior).
		As Reiss (1971) observers, participation may lead to alteration of hypotheses and observation schedules, the attempt to observe systematically is ongoing.
		Participation, ideally, is real (ex., the participant observer may be required to learn a language or jargon, live in the setting, defer to local culture, etc.).
	www2.chass.ncsu.edu /garson/pa765/particip.htm (976 words)

	The Psychophysics Psyber Lab
		This observer may then be used to compare the performance of human, and other, observers.
		Our main research interest is in psychophysical methodology, including measures of detectability, multi-event and multi-dimensional tasks, reducing the effects of observer inconsistency, evaluating correct and incorrect decisions (the Type 2 task), and the development of algorithms for these new methods.
		GOC analysis is a technique used to remove the effects of observer inconsistency from psychophysical data.
	www.psychophysics.org (961 words)

	Dose-Response Analysis of Opioid Cross-Tolerance and Withdrawal Suppression During LAAM Maintenance -- Houtsmuller et ...
		Time course functions and dose effects of hydromorphone for pupil diameter are represented for four different intervals after last LAAM dose (24, 48, 72 and 96 hr).
		Schuh KJ, Walsh SL, Bigelow GE, Preston KL and Stitzer ML (1996) Buprenorphine, morphine and naloxone effects during ascending morphine maintenance in humans.
		Walsh SL, Johnson RE, Cone EJ and Bigelow GE (1998) Intravenous and oral l-alpha-acetyl methadol (LAAM): Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics in humans.
	jpet.aspetjournals.org /cgi/content/full/285/2/387 (5956 words)

	Ramtha, J.Z. Knight
		The effect is a blend of riveted attention and confusion that puts the critical mind to sleep, softening up the viewer to ideas that begin with human potential and end with walking on water.
		In the famous debates between Einstein and Niels Bohr over the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum effects, Einstein was never won over to the notion of the absence of objective reality, stating: “I think that a particle must have a separate reality independent of the measurement.
		Another “proof” of the power of thought presented in the film is the so-called “Maharishi Effect.” In 1993, 4,000 meditators gathered in Washington, D.C. under the direction of physicist John Hagelin.
	skepdic.com /channel.html (3494 words)

	Free newsletter - HFIs UI Design Update
		John Sorflaten, Ph.D., CUA, CPE, Project Director at HFI, discusses the effect of the observer on usability testing and the differing results between laboratory and unmoderated remote testing.
		In this case the automated test, with subjects out of view of an overseer, appears to have produced more honest results if that is the environment used in the real-life version of the tasks.
		2) We saw the influence of the observer increase dramatically in the case of "active information search." Subjects in the lab spent twice as much effort on their tasks compared to remote subjects at home.
	www.humanfactors.com /downloads/nov042.htm (2403 words)

	Atlas: Estimating interviewer and observer effects for binary responses by Alastair Scott (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-29)
		For example, we are currently involved in a study of adverse events in hospitals in New Zealand which involves the careful examination of a sample of patient records.
		Since people with the required skills are hard to find, we are often forced to make do with a small number of highly trained people, each having a high case load as a consequence.
		However, most responses in health questionnaires are binary and it is known that this approach results in underestimating the effects for binary responses.
	atlas-conferences.com /cgi-bin/abstract/cahg-13 (300 words)

	Past Issues - UI Design Newsletter
		We saw that possibility first in the case of concurrent "think-aloud" usability testing – fewer tasks were successfully completed in the lab, but the authors said this difference was not statistically certain.
		We saw the influence of the observer increase dramatically in the case of "active information search." Subjects in the lab spent twice as much effort on their tasks compared to remote subjects at home.
		Excellent information on observer effects that should be followed.
	www.humanfactors.com /downloads/nov04.asp (2779 words)

	GWUP - Michael Shermer Skeptic encyclopedia
		Ideomotor Effect (the "Ouija Board"Effect) by Michael Heap, p.127
		Observer Effects and Observer Bias by Douglas G. Mook, p.158
		Placebo Effect by Geoffrey Dean and Ivan W. Kelly, p.178
	www.gwup.org /themen/lesetipps/michaelshermersencyclopedia.html (1139 words)

	Medical Laboratory Observer: The effects of improper specimen handling on lab tests
		Medical Laboratory Observer: The effects of improper specimen handling on lab tests
		Medical Laboratory Observer, Nov, 1988 by Robert H. O'Bannon
		The results of our joint study on the effect of sunlight on various laboratory determinations were illuminating,
	www.findarticles.com /p/articles/mi_m3230/is_n11_v20/ai_6817532 (1435 words)

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