Decision-making in figure skating: A study of cognitive processing by judges

This study employed quantitative and qualitative methods to research the decision- making process of figure skating judges as they assess and rank competitors in Canadian figure skating competition. Multiple regression and correlation are used to address the questions of which elements and components in a skating performance are significant and their degree of influence. Grounded theory was applied to understand the decision processes used by 20 judge participants who were off-duty or spectator judges, as they spoke their thought processes into an audio recorder while they judged and marked an event at the 2004 BMO Senior Canadian Championships. Phenomenography was used to inquire about the variation in the content of the decision process. Further, as feasible, the question of how the above three factors relate and bring about expert decision-making is examined.;The quantitative portion of the study collected and analyzed the marks awarded by the panel of judges and each participant judge in the 6.0 System of judging. Additionally videotapes of these same skating performances were judged again by similarly qualified judges using the new Cumulative Points Calculation (CPC) judging system. For the six pooled events the significant regression coefficients were choreography, followed by skating skills, jumps, and spins. For the three pooled ladies' events, the significant regression coefficients were choreography, followed by skating skills, jumps, and sequences. For the three pooled men's events the significant regression coefficients were jumps, followed by choreography, performance and execution, and skating skills. Through correlation analysis the relationship between the judge's total marks and the CPC element and component ratings for each judge participant and each event was determined. These correlation values were consistent between judges for the same event but differed among events.;In decision process themes of grouping, best fit, comparison, and skater-based emerged as techniques the judges employed in making their decision. Some judges used a system, some a partial system, some no system at all. Each was different, but all worked well in bringing about high coefficients of determination and similar skater placements. Through phenomenographic analysis the judge participant's decision process was examined for decision content. In decision content there was a moderately high consistency among judges as they critiqued the same skating performance while the skating was in progress, a marked decrease in consistency of observations as they summarized immediately after the performance, and a low consistency among judges for comparison to the same skater, and an even lower level of consistency when comparing to the same skater and the same element.;This study suggests that when the elements and components were mixed in quality and difficulty within a single skater's performance, and/or among skaters, making the decisions became difficult. As the difficulty increased the coefficient of determination decreased. Further, the correlation data were similar between judges for the same event but different among events. Though the judge participants maintained their focus on the traditional elements and components for differentiating between skaters, within the parameters of their technical knowledge and expertise the decisions were based on the decision path that most obviously and easily enabled them to differentiate among the skaters.