Revenge and Student Evaluations of Teaching

Abstract

One of the biggest concerns about student evaluations of teaching is the positive correlation between them and expected grades. Past research has been unable to clarify if intentional revenge for low grades or a more subtle process such as cognitive dissonance leads to low evaluations. This study included a survey of college students (N = 143) that indicated only 8% of students admitted to taking revenge on evaluations and that they rarely cited low grades as a reason for giving low evaluations. However, an experimental manipulation indicated that students may give a low evaluation if they receive a low grade even when they know that most students are doing well in the course. Overall, revenge appears to be one of the less important factors in predicting student evaluations.