Self-Report Bias and Accuracy in a Simulated Work Setting

Abstract

Signal detection theory was applied to an experiment that examined the effects of feedback on self-report bias and accuracy in a simulated work setting. Manipulating combined feedback on task performance and self-reports resulted in increased task performance and self-report accuracy, but did not systematically affect self-report bias. This research shows promise for determining the variables of which self-report behavior is a function in organizational settings where more objective sources of data are impractical, unethical, or not readily available. Implications for the provenance of self-report considerations for behavioral applications in organizational settings are also addressed.