ABSTRACT
J udgments of merit are fallible. Whether the result of limited time, limited atten-tion, mental fatigue, shifts of standards or criteria, biases, group dynamics, or something else, judges are prone to be less than perfectly consistent in their
merit assessments. Likewise, those whose merit is judged are prone to be less than perfectly consistency in the products or performances they present to the judges. Athletes sometimes stumble or miss. Job applicants sometimes overlook important information on their résumés or in their job interviews. Anxious students often forget answers to questions they know, while others make lucky guesses as answers to questions they do not know.
