Applied psychology in the production of a British Standard

The applied psychological research used in the production of a British Standard on scales and indices stemmed originally from a need for smaller instruments for the Navy. The only work available, carried out for the United States Air Force,suggested even larger dials, so further work was undertaken, adopting a new approach. Following this, the author discusses the standard, commenting on manufacturer's initial reluctance to adopt the new scales, and on the difficulties over definitions, especially relating to observation error in scale readings. Numeral design had been examined and a new style tested in practical conditions in an oil refinery. Research on the differences in reading scales for speed plus accuracy and for accuracy alone is mentioned, also work which validated a scale division proposed by the French. The author concludes that the meetings of psychologists and manufacturers as a result of the preparation of the standard has had a profound effect on instrument scale design.