The Effect of Flinching on M1 Rifle Marksmanship

摘要

This report summarizes two preliminary studies on the effect of flinching on marksmanship. The chief purpose of the first study was to determine whether or not the judgments of experts will serve as reliable measures of flinching; the second study was an attempt to find out the extent to which flinching affects marksmanship scores. Interpretation of the results of both studies indicates that expert judgments will measure flinching reliably, and that flinching significantly affects marksmanship. In fact, the data suggest that about 38% of the variation in trainee marksmanship scores is due to flinching. Hence the problem appears to be serious enough to show a need for research into possible methods of reducing flinch.