Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

Faculty/School

Faculty of Science

First Advisor

Mark Pancer

Advisor Role

Thesis Supervisor

Abstract

A review of the literature revealed that interpersonal affect has been relatively neglected as a potential moderator of the performance feedback process. In an attempt to ameliorate this oversight, a model was proposed which views supervisors’ feedback behavior as being the product of a set of social cognitive operations, all of which may be regarded as having their basis in affective responses. A laboratory study was undertaken to assess the validity of the proposed linkages in the model. While all of the connections did not receive empirical support, affect. was found to influence certain aspects of supervisors’ feedback and evaluative behaviors. Specifically, supervisors who were induced to like the subordinate judged the quality of the subordinate's creativity performance to be higher and indicated that they were more emotionally satisfied with the subordinate's performance than did supervisors who were induced to dislike the subordinate. Additionally, when the subordinate’s objective performance was poor, supervisors who liked the subordinate delayed transmitting evaluative feedback to the subordinate longer than did supervisors who disliked the subordinate. However, when the evaluative assessments to be made were based upon criteria of an objective and verifiable nature, the affect manipulation had a relatively negligible impact on supervisors‘ feedback and evaluative behaviors. The implications of these results for organizational contexts are discussed.

Convocation Year

1992

Convocation Season

Spring

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