National Bias in Judgments of Olympic-Level Skating

Abstract

Statistical analyses (tests of probability) of judges' scores for various segments of Olympic skating performances in 1984 and 1988 indicate the presence of national bias. Judges rate skaters of their own nationality above the average of the remaining judges. They tend to give skaters of their own nationality the maximum score (among the judges), and their over-all rank for these skaters tends to be higher than the skaters' final Olympic standings. The authors suggest the possible use of trimmed means as one method of minimizing the effects of such bias.