PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Andrea Karabenick
Industrial/Organizational
August 1994

Experimental Effects of Performance Appraisal Favorability versus Accuracy upon Work Motivation

    This study experimentally studied the effects of the favorability and accuracy of performance appraisals (PAs) on work motivation in a role-playing situation.  Favorability and accuracy were nonorthogonal, making interpretation difficult.  Favorability and the subordinate’s perceived accuracy and objectively calculated accuracy of the appraisal were the independent variables.  Sixty students in a psychology course were the subjects.  As hypothesized, positive PAs produced higher levels of motivation than did moderate PAs, and perceived accurate PAs produced higher levels of motivation than inaccurate PAs.  Objectively Calculated Accuracy had the same effects.  Also, as hypothesized, those with positive accurate PAs had the highest level of motivation, followed in order by those with positive inaccurate PAs, moderate accurate PAs, and moderate inaccurate PAs.  These findings indicate that people value feeling good and hearing the truth about themselves, but, when choosing between the two, value feeling good more than hearing the truth.

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