Mrs. Beena is an English teacher. Her students always complain that no matter how well they write their answers, she invariably gives them very low marks. She can be considered to be displaying:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Extreme response bias
Rating is one method of behavioural analysis, and raters often show certain biases that colour their judgments.
Option (1) Halo effect — Incorrect. In the halo effect the rater is influenced by a single favourable or unfavourable trait, which then forms the basis of her/his whole judgment of the person. Mrs. Beena does not judge from one trait; she gives low marks to every answer, however good.
Option (2) Extreme response bias — Correct. Raters may place individuals in the extreme positions of the scale, avoiding the middle categories. Mrs. Beena always puts her students at the low extreme, whatever the quality of the answer.
Option (3) Middle category bias — Incorrect. This is the opposite tendency: placing everyone in the middle of the scale by avoiding extreme positions.
Option (4) Fair treatment — Incorrect. Fair marking would give higher marks to better answers. Low marks however well the students write show a bias, not fairness.
NCERT (2025-26): “Behavioural Ratings … The method of rating suffers from the following major limitations: (1) Raters often display certain biases that colour their judgments of different traits. For example, most of us are greatly influenced by a single favourable or unfavourable trait. This often forms the basis of a rater’s overall judgment of a person. This tendency is known as the halo effect. (2) Raters have a tendency to place individuals either in the middle of the scale (called middle category bias) by avoiding extreme positions, or in the extreme positions (called extreme response bias) by avoiding middle categories on the scale.…” |