Interpersonal Affect and Peer Rating Bias in Teams

Abstract

This study assessed the consequences of performance feedback received from peers on a team member’s subsequent ratings of others, and the mediating influence of interpersonal affect. Undergraduate participants ( N = 142) working in 30 teams during a 7-week period were assigned collective bargaining and arbitration tasks. We found that a team member’s prior positive or negative peer feedback resulted in increased leniency or severity, respectively, and increased restriction in range when these same members subsequently rated fellow team members. Interrater agreement on ratings of peers at Time 3 was higher when raters received similar feedback (i.e., both received positive or negative feedback) from their peers at the Time 1. The mechanism through which feedback at Time 1 influenced rating biases at Time 3 was found to be interpersonal affect (measured at Time 2).