When a rater marks an unusually high number of ratings in the top categories, this is known as what?

The phenomenon where a rater assigns an unusually high number of ratings in the top categories is recognized as the error of leniency. This occurs when a rater is overly lenient in their evaluations, effectively giving out excessive positive assessments. This could stem from a desire to foster a supportive environment or to avoid conflict.

The error of leniency can lead to skewed evaluations that do not accurately reflect the true performance levels of individuals, which can hinder effective performance management and development. It is important in supervision and evaluation contexts to balance the distribution of ratings to ensure that they are fair and indicative of actual performance.

Understanding the error of leniency is crucial for supervisors and evaluators as it highlights the need for maintaining objectivity in assessments to provide accurate feedback and foster genuine improvements in performance.