the possibility of initializing recording 2 of the standard deviation u03c3 1 of the controller behavior follows this is done in the simplest case by recording the controller output variable for example a voltage a maximum current or a digital value before conversion into a manipulated variable using a suitable input element and by converting it into a numerically recordable value the recording 2 of the standard deviation u03c3 1 is done by repeatedly recording the controller output variable at fixed times or also at reversal points of the controller output variable so that the respective maximum value of the controller output variable is recorded in the case of an on off controller recording may be carried out in accordance with the mark to space ratio after a sufficiently large number of values for a statistical analysis has been recorded the standard deviation u03c3 1 is ascertained by known calculation methods and is stored internally for further use in the method according to the invention the recording 2 of the standard deviation u03c3 2 is followed by a comparison 3 with a preselected maximum standard deviation u03c3 max if the recorded standard deviation u03c3 1 is below a predefined value u03c3 max that is to say if it is within an acceptable range the method takes path 3 ab and the standard deviation u03c3 1 of the controller is ascertained again the closed loop between step 2 and step 3.