John Maxwell Lowe

ABSTRACT

A 100-item preaching performance check list (PPCL) was developed and used to test the hypothesis, Y = KX^n, that the overall evaluation (Y) of preaching effectiveness grows as a power function (n) of the performance specimens observed (X). Y was measured on a five-point category scale and X was measured on a ratio scale (E/I) of the number of effective (E) to ineffective (I) performance specimens observed. Y was found to grow as the .16 power of X, but the application of the power equation was interpreted to be mainly the result of a methodological artifact, rather than the demonstration of a psychophysical, psychocybernetic, or prothetic process of complex human behavior.

Six alternative scoring systems were compared, all of which correlated appreciably with the criterion. Validity coefficients ranged from .70 to .80. The PPCL had corrected reliability coefficients (internal consistency and intraclass) in the high .90's.

The PPCL was sensitive to the effects of denominational bias, but procedures were developed to control the effects of bias in diagnosing individual preaching performance.

OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS

"Prothetic" is a word used by psychologists in reference to a property of the psychophysical law. In experimental psychology, a prothetic stimulus is one that varies continuously and produces continuous changes in perception. For example, continuous changes in the wavelength of light produce corresponding qualitative perceptual changes in vision.

The research reported in this master's thesis concluded that the "prothetic" concept does not apply to measurements of complex human behavior. For example, ratings of preaching performance were demonstrated to be a pure psychological process, not a psychophysical process as postulated by a number of previous studies.… (plus d'informations)