A study on Rapport between the examiner and the subject

Abstract

The present study was conducted in order to find out whether the presence of the rapport between the examiner and the subject in testing has any influence on the performance. Studies of this kind have recently been reported by Miller, S. M. (9), Gibby, S. G. (5), Cole, D. (3), and Sacks, E. L. (10).
In our study three kinds of intelligence tests were used by three examiners on three groups of feeble-minded children whose mean IQ and CA were 50 and 15 respectively. The tests were given according to the experimental design which is shown in Fig. 1 (p. 23). The examiners consisted of a person who has been living with the subjects for more than two years, one who has become friendly recently with the subjects through his visit to the institute, and one who has never met the subjects before the testing.
Analysis of variance was used to find the interrelations among three factors of tests, examiners, and subject groups. A significant difference was found between the test scores of the groups of good and poor rapport, and also between those of fairly good and poor, but no so much between those of good and fairly good.
This is the preliminary report of the study still going on. In the next step the same experimental study will be made with respect to normal children.