The effect of scale interval length and pointer clearance on speed and accuracy of interpolation

Abstract

To study the effect of interval length and pointer clearance on the speed and accuracy of interpolating to tenths of a scale interval, 10 Ss each reported readings for nine pointer positions for 36 combinations of scale interval length (0.25 to 2.0 inches) and pointer clearance (0.0 to 2.0 inches). Reading time and errors of interpolation decreased significantly as interval length increased from 0.25 to 1.5 inches, and clearance decreased from 2.0 to 0.125 inches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)