The Role of Priming in the Rating Process: An Investigation of Priming Effects in a Simulated Assessment Center

Through interactions with others in the assessment center, an assessor may be exposed to potentially biasing information (priming). Research from other fields indicates that raters will use this prior information in making judgments. This study examined priming in a simulated assessment center, using a 2 (primed or unprimed) by 2 (trained or untrained) by 2 (prestige-relevant or relevant-only source of information) within-subjects design. A total of 136 participants observed and rated the behavior of three candidates. Primes describing behaviors engaged in by each candidate were presented before participants observed them. All information was presented by either a professor or a graduate student. Results found priming effects on behavioral observations but not on dimension ratings. Priming positively affected trained participants' notes but negatively affected their behavioral checklists. These results imply that priming is relevant to the assessment center technique. The findings also support the notion that distinct cognitive processes are involved in observing behavior and making ratings.