FORMAT AND TRAINING EFFECTS ON RATING ACCURACY AND RATER ERRORS

Examined the effects of rater training and rating format on halo and accuracy in performance ratings. A training program previously found to reduce the number of rating errors was adapted for use here, and 5 rating formats that have shown promise in helping to reduce rating errors were developed for 2 jobs. As in previous research, 5- to 9-min videotapes of actors performing on these 2 jobs according to scripts depicting realistic levels of effectiveness on the various performance dimensions provided the ratees for Ss to evaluate. 123 college students were assigned randomly to 1 of 10 cells defined by 5 format and 2 training treatments (trained vs untrained), and raters evaluated the effectiveness of the videotaped ratees' performances. Results show that training significantly reduced halo, but this finding was uneven across the 2 jobs. Training did not improve accuracy. Significant format effects were found for both halo and accuracy, but a significant job by format effect on accuracy suggested that no one format is consistently best across situations. Possible training strategies to enhance rating reliability and accuracy are discussed. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.