Behavioural Ratings

Behavioural ratings are a practical tool used to assess personality, especially in schools and workplaces. Instead of a test, this method relies on the observations of people who know the person well — teachers, supervisors, or close colleagues — and have seen them in action over time.

The rater is asked to place the person into a category based on specific behavioural qualities. These categories might use numbers (like a 1-to-5 scale) or descriptive words (like "rarely," "often," "always"). However, the textbook points out a real problem: using plain numbers or vague adjectives confuses the rater. To make ratings useful, each trait must be clearly defined with precise, observable examples of behaviour — these are called behavioural anchors. For instance, instead of rating "friendliness" on a scale of 1 to 5, you would anchor each point with a concrete description, such as "often starts conversations with new people."

Despite its usefulness, the method has serious limitations, all stemming from the rater's own biases.