Diaries, checklists, evaluations, and contrast effects in measurement of behavior

Abstract

Two studies addressed 3 research questions. (1) Are behavioral diaries or checklists susceptible to between-ratee contrast effects? The studies found that both diaries and checklists are susceptible to between-ratee contrast effects. (2) Can diaries or checklists help reduce between-ratee contrast effects on corresponding performance evaluations? Study 1 illustrated that diaries not only may be ineffective at reducing contrast effects on corresponding ratings but also may actually strengthen those effects. In Study 2, although checklists compared favorably with diaries in their impact on contrast effects on corresponding evaluations, checklists did not eliminate the contrast effect on evaluations. (3) What are the directional influences of context behavior when contrast effects are observed? Significant contrast effects were consistent with the traditional conception of this effect: upward in a poor context and downward in a good context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)