Factors Affecting the Reliability of Physical Ability and Effort Ratings of Navy Tasks

Abstract

The study was carried out in order to compare and evaluate the utility and reliability of an index of perceived physical effort for use in the rating of Navy tasks by three different rater groups. Tasks with varying physical demands from four Navy jobs were rated by supervisors and incumbents within each job as well as by a group of job analysts. The rating scales include a perceived physical effort scale and ten physical ability scales. The results indicated that rate perceived effort was highly correlated with selected strength and stamina factors (r = .91 to .95). Further, all three rater groups were able to reliably use the index of perceived physical effort to discriminate between tasks with varying physical demands. These results suggest that ratings of physical effort by either job incumbents or supervisors are indicative of the ergonomic or metabolic costs of physical task performance. Further, such ratings can be used as a means to rank order large groups of jobs, and tasks within a job, according to their physical demands. (Author)

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