Bob has been a model employee all year except for the last two to three weeks; yet, Bob's ratings on his performance appraisal reflect his performance during this last two-week to three-week period. This type of rating bias is referred to as:
A) strictness error
B) contrast error
C) the recency effect
D) infrequent observation

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The recency effect refers to the tendency for people to have stronger recall for events that have occurred more recently. In the case of Bob's performance appraisal, the rater may have only remembered Bob's behavior from the last two to three weeks and let that overshadow his overall performance for the year. This is a common type of rating bias that can have negative consequences for employees.

Bob Has Been a Model Employee All Year Except for the Last