Accession Number:

ADA183117

Title:

The Effects of Rater Stress on Performance Rating Accuracy.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.,

Corporate Author:

TEXAS A AND M UNIV COLLEGE STATION DEPT OF MANAGEMENT

Personal Author(s):

• Powell,Amy B.
• Shaw,James B.
• Fisher,Cynthia D.

Report Date:

1987-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

31.0

Abstract:

This study examined the effects of rater stress on halo error, severity error and rating accuracy in performance appraisal. Eight-four participants completed either a stressful or nonstressful in-basket exercise, either before or after observing the videotaped performance of a manager. They then rated the manager on several performance dimensions. Ratings provided by participants completing the stressful in-basket were less accurate than those provided by participants completing the nonstressful in-basket. However, ratings provided by these two groups showed no differences in halo or severity error. In addition, raters who completed the in-basket after seeing the target performance but before rating that performance provided less accurate ratings than those completing the in-basket before observing and rating the performance. These result indicate that rater stress may lead to greater appraisal inaccuracy, and that this inaccuracy is largely a function of faulty information retrieval.

Descriptors:

• *PERFORMANCE(HUMAN)
• *RATINGS
• *STRESS(PSYCHOLOGY)
• *BEHAVIOR
• ACCURACY
• INFORMATION RETRIEVAL
• TARGETS
• COGNITION
• ERRORS
• SUPERVISORS

Subject Categories:

• Personnel Management and Labor Relations
• Psychology

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE