FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)Assessment and CritiqueHard
A chief flight instructor reviews a subordinate CFI's grading history and notices that nearly all students receive a '3' on a 1-to-5 proficiency scale, regardless of whether their performance was exceptional or barely passing. This grading pattern best illustrates:
- ACentral tendency error
- BHalo effect
- CLeniency error
- DContrast effect
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Central tendency error
Central tendency error occurs when an evaluator avoids using the extremes of a rating scale, clustering most ratings near the middle regardless of actual performance differences. This reduces the scale's usefulness for distinguishing strong from weak performers, unlike leniency (which skews high) or severity (which skews low).
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Halo effect involves one trait influencing the overall score of an individual, not scale-wide clustering.
- C. Leniency error would show consistently high scores (like 4s and 5s), not a cluster at the middle value.
- D. Contrast effect involves comparison between successive performances, not clustering around a midpoint.
Central Tendency Error
A rating bias in which an evaluator avoids extreme high or low scores, clustering ratings near the middle of the scale regardless of actual performance variation.
- Reduces the discriminating power of a rating scale
- Often stems from evaluator discomfort with extreme judgments
- Distinct from leniency (skews high) and severity (skews low) errors
Memory trick: Everyone's a '3' — the evaluator hides in the middle.