Publication Date

1992

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Villanova, Peter

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

LCSH

Employees--Rating of

Abstract

Contrast effects are a robust phenomenon whereby the magnitude of a rating assigned to behavioral stimuli is contrasted away from the level observed in the same context or a preceding context. This study examined the effects of performance appraisal rating procedure and temporal delay between the viewing and rating of performance on contrast effects in performance ratings. College student participants viewed two videotapes depicting poor (anchor stimulus) and average (target stimulus) levels of performance. There was no support for the hypothesized interaction between delay and procedure. However, a significant main effect for the rating procedure factor resulted from the lower contrast effects that characterized the ratings of participants who rated both videotape performances simultaneously relative to those who rated them sequentially. In addition, a significant main effect for the delay factor indicated that contrast effects were of smaller magnitude when a delay occurred between the observation and rating of performances. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for contrast effect research and the procedures followed in actual appraisal situations.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages 36-39)

Extent

vii, 53 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS