POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CRITERION BIAS IN SUPERVISOR RATINGS USED FOR TEST VALIDATION

Four possible sources of criterion contamination were investigated in the supervisory performance ratings used for a predictive criterion-re lated validation study. Supervisors' liking for subordinates had a ver y large association with their performance ratings independent of the effects of employee ability. Also as hypothesized, expectations of emp loyee qualifications were correlated significantly with initial (1-mo. ) performance ratings but not with ratings made after 5 mos. Ethnicity was not associated with 1-mo. performance ratings, but after five mon ths supervisors gave significantly higher ratings to subordinates of t he same ethnic group as themselves. No evidence was found of sex bias in the ratings. Estimates of test validity were reduced substantially when the potential sources of criterion bias were controlled statistic ally. The data are interpreted in the contexts of construct relevance for ratings criteria, possible spurious inflation of employment test v alidities, and the developmental processes by which supervisor-subordi nate relationships are established in the first few months of employme nt.