Few studies have engaged in data-driven investigations of the presence, or frequency, of what could be considered retaliatory assessor behaviour in Multi-source Feedback (MSF) systems. In this study, authors explored how assessors scored others if, before assessing others, they received their own assessment score. The authors examined assessments from an established MSF system in which all clinical team members - medical students, interns, residents, fellows, and supervisors - anonymously assessed each other. The authors identified assessments in which an assessor (i.e., any team member providing a score to another) gave an aberrant score to another individual. An aberrant score was defined as one that was more than two standard deviations from the assessment receiver's average score. Assessors who gave aberrant scores were categorized according to whether their behaviour was preceded by: (1) receiving a score or not from another individual in the MSF system (2) whether the score they received was aberrant or not. The authors used a multivariable logistic regression model to investigate the association between the type of score received and the type of score given by that same individual. In total, 367 unique assessors provided 6091 scores on the performance of 484 unique individuals. Aberrant scores were identified in 250 forms (4.1%). The chances of giving an aberrant score were 2.3 times higher for those who had received a score, compared to those who had not (odds ratio 2.30, 95% CI:1.54-3.44, P < 0.001). Individuals who had received an aberrant score were also 2.17 times more likely to give an aberrant score to others compared to those who had received a non-aberrant score (2.17, 95% CI:1.39-3.39, P < 0.005) after adjusting for all other variables. This study documents an association between receiving scores within an anonymous multi-source feedback (MSF) system and providing aberrant scores to team members. These findings suggest care must be given to designing MSF systems to protect against potential downstream consequences of providing and receiving anonymous feedback.

中文翻译：

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先前绩效信息对后续评估的影响：匿名多源评估系统中是否存在报复证据？

很少有研究对多源反馈（MSF）系统中可被视为报复性评估者行为的存在或频率进行数据驱动的调查。在这项研究中，作者探讨了如果评估者在评估他人之前收到了自己的评估分数，他们将如何对其他人进行评分。作者检查了无国界医生组织已建立的系统的评估结果，在该系统中，所有临床团队成员——医学生、实习生、住院医生、研究员和主管——都以匿名方式相互评估。作者确定了评估者（即为另一个人提供分数的任何团队成员）给另一个人提供异常分数的评估。异常分数被定义为与评估接受者的平均分数相差超过两个标准差的分数。给出异常分数的评估员根据他们的行为之前是否有以下情况进行分类：(1) 是否从 MSF 系统中的另一个人那里收到分数 (2) 他们收到的分数是否异常。作者使用多变量逻辑回归模型来研究收到的分数类型与同一个人给出的分数类型之间的关联。总共有 367 名独立评估员对 484 名独立个体的表现提供了 6091 分。在 250 份表格中发现了异常分数 (4.1%)。与未获得分数的人相比，获得分数的人给出异常分数的机会高出 2.3 倍（比值比 2.30，95% CI：1.54-3.44，P < 0.001）。在对所有因素进行调整后，获得异常评分的个体向他人给出异常评分的可能性也是获得正常评分的个体的 2.17 倍（2.17，95% CI：1.39-3.39，P < 0.005）其他变量。这项研究记录了在匿名多源反馈 (MSF) 系统中接收分数与向团队成员提供异常分数之间的关联。这些发现表明，在设计 MSF 系统时必须小心谨慎，以防止提供和接收匿名反馈带来的潜在下游后果。