Could This EVER Happen?

[tallgeese]

Agreed. The answer is still yes, very possible.

[sensei8]

This isn't really a hypothetical question, is it?

Yes, this is just a hypothetical.

[sensei8]

Lets change the hypothetical question again. Same parameters, but, now this competitor is wearing a black belt with six or seven rank indentifiers.

Could the reason that this competitor won 4 Kata Grand Championships was that this competitors Kata's were that solid, or, was it because this competitor was wearing a black belt with six or seven rank indentifiers?

Could those judges have been "obliged' by seeing the six or seven rank indentifiers, thus, giving high marks because of rank?

[Lupin1]

If I were a judge, I'd judge someone harder if I saw all that on their belt, so it'd probably make it harder for them.

[DWx]

Could the reason that this competitor won 4 Kata Grand Championships was that this competitors Kata's were that solid, or, was it because this competitor was wearing a black belt with six or seven rank indentifiers?

Could those judges have been "obliged' by seeing the six or seven rank indentifiers, thus, giving high marks because of rank?

Well they're not very good judges then are they. "Hypothetically" this could certainly happen. Bias is often present in tournaments and rank identifiers are one thing that judges could be swayed by but they shouldn't be if they're good umpires.

[tonydee]

...now this competitor is wearing a black belt with six or seven rank indentifiers.

Could the reason that this competitor won 4 Kata Grand Championships was that this competitors Kata's were that solid, or, was it because this competitor was wearing a black belt with six or seven rank indentifiers?

Could those judges have been "obliged' by seeing the six or seven rank indentifiers, thus, giving high marks because of rank?

Not only could this influence judges, it's likely to even if the judges consciously guard against it, especially if the apparent rank equals or exceeds their own. Unless they're extremely self confident, extremely experienced, or the performer is really obviously bad, then they'll begin to look for ways to reconcile their impressions with the ostensible rank... questioning whether they're missing something... looking to give the performer the benefit of the doubt even if it means assuming their own judgement/conceptions to have been wrong in the past.

Cheers,

Tony