Some Neglected Variables in Research on Discrimination in Appraisals

Unfair discrimination in subjective appraisals is explained most frequently with the stereotype-fit model, according to which raters possess stereotypes of the ideal occupant of a job and their evaluations reflect their perceptions of the goodness of fit of the rate to the job. The thesis here is that the stereotype-fit model and passive observer research procedures have led researchers and theorists to overemphasize cognitive determinants and neglect behavioral, affective, and social determinants of biases in subjective appraisals.