STABILITY OF PERFORMANCE - AN INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE

The stability of performance and the reliability of its measurement have long been sources of discussion and research in personnel psychology. In the present study, the long-term stability of performance was assessed within an interactionist framework. This framework indicates that an interaction between the person and the situation determines performance and, subsequently, its stability. Specifically, the stability of student ratings of faculty teaching were examined over a 6.5 year (13 semester) interval. Results indicated that, consistent with the interactionist perspective, teaching ratings were most stable for faculty members teaching a particular course (i.e., more stable than ratings of faculty or ratings of courses). In additional analyses, the pattern of stability over time was explored; the results suggest that an asymptote is reached rapidly. Implications for criterion data collection in personnel studies are discussed.