FORCED CHOICE

APPROACH
BY: BORROMEO QUENNY RYNN S.
 Forced Choice Approach
• Forced Choice is a method of performance appraisal in which the rater has to make a
forced choice between the available characteristics, about the employees. It is in the form
of a survey questionnaire. In this method, different categories of performances are set;
the proportion in each category need not be symmetrical. All the employees are places
under any one of these categories. The raters are given a set of multiple choice questions,
from which they are to select one option and rate the employees. This list contains only
positive or only negative set of choices of behaviors to choose from. This leads the
employer to be in a situation in which, he/she is forced to choose only the negative or
only the positive traits to attribute to the performance of an employee. Thus the
supervisor, himself doesn’t know which is the best answer among the choices available.
Many companies use this method of appraisal as it is considered to be a
less biased way of appraising an employee. The supervisor doesn’t have
much of control over deciding whether the performance of an employee is
good or bad.It provides a realistic scenario of the performance of an
employee, rather than biasness where only the good or the bad boxes are
checked.
Example
The question may ask the rater to forcefully choose any one of the
following options available:

• Takes up challenges eagerly

• Always comes up with a new idea

• Leads and shows proper direction to each of its team member

• Understand the problem and provides valuable alternative solutions to it

The supervisor will have to attribute any of the above categories to the
performance of his/her employees. This is a difficult job and sometimes
the employer is forced to make a decision which if not entirely, but closely
relates to the behavior of his/her employee.
• The forced-choice method is the use of two or more specific response options on a survey or
questionnaire, for example “yes” or “no” or “green,” “blue,” or “red.” Options such as “not sure,”
“no opinion,” or “not applicable” are not included; respondents must commit to an actual answer.

This format yields more useable data and more responses that can be analyzed. The forced-choice
method may also refer to the use of only two response options in studies of sensation and
perception. For example, in an experimental task assessing motion detection, researchers might
present two images (labeled A and B) side-by-side on a video screen and ask the participant to
quickly select which image contains a moving part.

• The series of statements arranged in the blocks of two or more are given and the rater indicates
which statement is true or false. The rater is forced to make a choice. HR department does actual
assessment. Advantages – Absence of personal biases because of forced choice. Disadvantages –
Statements may be wrongly framed.

• The primary purpose of the forced choice method id correct the tendency of a rater to give
constantly high or low ratings to all employees.