When a rater is overly influenced by an occurrence involving the person rated toward the end of the evaluation period, this is known as?

The scenario described pertains to a situation often referred to as recency bias. This phenomenon occurs when an evaluator places greater importance on the most recent events or behaviors they have observed, which can lead to an inaccurate overall assessment of an individual's performance. Evaluators may find themselves influenced by a single recent interaction or occurrence, thereby overshadowing the entirety of the evaluation period.

In performance reviews, for example, if an officer performed exceptionally well at the end of the evaluation period but had consistent issues earlier, the final performance might skew the overall assessment positively, leading to a distorted view of the person’s overall performance.

Understanding this bias is crucial for supervisors, as it highlights the importance of being aware of timeframes when evaluating employee performance objectively. It encourages the practice of reviewing an entire evaluation period instead of focusing disproportionately on recent incidents. This thorough approach supports more balanced and fair evaluations.