FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)Assessment and CritiqueHard
A CFI, impressed by a student's consistently professional appearance and confident radio communication, unconsciously gives that student higher marks on the maneuver grading sheet than the actual flight performance warrants. This grading error is known as the...
- ACentral tendency error
- BLeniency error
- CHalo effect
- DContrast effect
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. Halo effect
The halo effect occurs when a grader's overall favorable (or unfavorable) impression of a person influences ratings of specific, unrelated performance areas, causing the evaluation to reflect that general impression rather than objective performance.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Central tendency error is the tendency to rate everyone near the middle of the scale, avoiding extremes.
- B. Leniency error is a general tendency to grade everyone too easily, not one caused by a specific favorable impression.
- D. Contrast effect occurs when a student is graded relative to the performance of the immediately preceding student, not due to personal impression.
Halo Effect (Grading Bias)
A rating error in which an evaluator's overall impression of a person influences their scoring of specific, unrelated performance criteria.
- Causes inflated (or deflated) scores based on general impression, not actual performance
- One of several common instructor grading biases
- Can be reduced by using specific, objective grading criteria
Memory trick: Halo = a shining reputation blinding the grader to real performance