Organization of information used for performance appraisals: Role of diary-keeping

Abstract

We designed a laboratory study ( N = 63) to test a series of hypotheses concerning diary-keeping derived from a social-cognitive view of the performance appraisal process. Raters who were given unorganized performance information were expected to store it in memory in patterns consistent with those used to organize diaries. Results supported this hypothesis. Moreover, raters preferred to organize diaries according to ratees, and diaries organized in this way resulted in more accurate recall and performance ratings. This effect held even though raters consulted diaries when making ratings. These results provide support for a cognitive role for diaries, such that they allow raters to impose organization on unorganized information. We discuss implications for research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)