Explaining Errors in Performance Evaluations

Research consistently reveals that humans have tremendous limitations in processing information. Because we are so limited, we often use “heuristics,” or simplifying mechanisms, to make judgments about many topics, including people. These heuristics, which appear often in subjective measures of performance, can lead to a variety of rater errors. In this exercise, please read the mini-case and answer the questions that follow. At the end of every semester, students fill out performance measures to evaluate the quality of instruction and the overall course. Professor Susan Young knew that these evaluations were subject to several errors in rating bias so she decided to investigate whether any of these errors were occurring on her own evaluations. In addition to conducting the evaluation, she had students fill out a brief demographic survey, and she conducted several random interviews with students to find out more information on why they rated her as they did. After gathering all of her data, Professor Young analyzed the information to see if she could identify any trends. What she found was quite interesting. First, after reviewing the evaluations themselves, she discovered that students who thought her tests were difficult tended to rate her negatively in all other areas. After interviewing her students, she found that some of them had rated all of their professors very high, very low, or right down the middle. They did not want to differentiate so they tended to only use one part of the rating scale. Other students tended to compare Professor Young to other instructors that they had that semester. One student who was planning on taking another course from her in the spring said that if she somehow figured out or knew that the student had given her a high evaluation, she would be more lenient in grading that student's performance next semester. Finally, in analyzing the demographic data provided by the students, Professor Young found out that the white females were giving her higher ratings than students with other demographic compositions in the class. Professor Young had certainly learned quite a bit in analyzing her performance evaluations. She decided that next semester she would discuss rating errors with her class before having them evaluate her own instruction.

1) Students who used the difficulty of exams as a basis for rating all other aspects of Professor Young's performance were probably influenced by

A) Halo error

B) Horns error

C) Strictness error

D) Leniency error

E) Contrast error

2) Students who evaluated all their professors by giving them high ratings because they liked them were probably influenced by

A) Contrast error

B) Halo errors

C) Appraisal politics

D) Distributional errors

3) Which of the following would be an example of a contrast error?

A) Comparing Professor Young's performance to Professor Ink's performance

B) Using the negative test ratings to influence other ratings of the professor

C) Using the evaluations to achieve personal goals

D) Rating all professors either very high or very low

4) The student who believed Professor Young would be more lenient in grading her next semester if she was given a high evaluation this semester was using

A) Frame-of-reference    

B) Central tendency errors

C) Appraisal politics

D) Leniency errors

5) The fact that white females were giving Professor Young higher ratings means that these individuals could have been influenced by

A) Leniency errors

B) Frame-of-reference

C) Contrast errors

D) Similar to me errors