rating errors

In social research using evaluators to rate responses to tests, the tendency to give higher or lower ranks than is objectively deserved. Various types of rating error include "errors of central tendency" (when raters tend to assign average scores to most respondents), "errors of contrast" (when raters tend to compare subjects with each other in the test rather than to some predetermined standard), "halo effect errors" (when raters tend to generalize some positive or negative characteristic of the subject to other characteristics of the same person), "errors of inconsistency" (when raters do not use the same method or evaluation instructions), "errors of projection" (when raters allow their own values or orientations to influence their ratings), "errors of recency" (when raters give more importance to factors that occurred more recently, downplaying the overall performances), "stereotyping errors" (when raters classify subjects inappropriately because of their membership in a minority group), and "errors of subjectivity" (when raters give inappropriate evaluations because of improper training, bias, values, or thought processes.