A CLOSER LOOK AT INTERPERSONAL AFFECT AS A DISTINCT INFLUENCE ON COGNITIVE PROCESSING IN PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

To date, cognitive and affective influences on performance evaluations have been addressed separately, although it is likely that affect may influence ratings indirectly through its impact on the cognitive processing involved in the evaluation. Eighty-three management students participated in a study of the influence of affect on the cognitive processing of performance information. The results suggest that an affect-consistency bias influences ratings even though the cognitive processes that require some judgment indicated a bias toward both affect-consistent and affect-inconsistent performance. Additional findings suggest that the practical utility of affect as something distinct from past performance perceptions may be limited in field settings. Job-related affect, past performance perceptions, and social affect had similar influences on the cognitive process and ratings in performance evaluations.