ABSTRACT
The use of content analysis of verbal behavior for research and clinical practice has been hampered by the relatively high requirements of establishing respectable intercoder and intracoder scoring reliability on diverse content analysis scales. Gottschalk and Gleser recommend an intercoder reliability coefficient of .80 or better with the scoring of qualified experts in the use of these content analysis scales. To achieve this level of familiarity and skill in coding these scales requires some practice with previously published and unpublished (available from Gottschalk or Gleser) examples of scoring these content analysis scales. Many people, mostly researchers, have achieved an acceptable level of proficiency scoring these scales, and they have published excellent work involving them. Some investigators or clinicians, however, do not want to take the time or acquire the expertise to use these content analysis scales reliably.
