Understanding and Removing the Effects of Performance Cues on Behavioral Ratings

Previous research has demonstrated that performance information (e.g., prior supervisor ratings) can bias behavioral ratings. However, research has not fully explored the effects of performance cues on raters' memory. In addition, no studies have attempted to eliminate this performance cue effect. This study addressed these deficiencies by collecting both free recall and recognition memory measures while testing an unstructured free recall intervention. Results indicate that performance cues do affect the recall of performance relevant behaviors from memory. Contrary to expectations, free recall did not prove to be an effective intervention. Implications of these findings for future attempts to remove the performance cue effect are discussed.