SummaryThe three major purposes of this paper were: 1) to report a method for studying appraisal interviewing and some quantitative data on interviewing behavior of head nurses emanating from its use, 2) to emphasize the positive and negative potentials in the performance appraisal process, and 3) to recommend operational, training, and research procedures.Some data obtained in a larger study of performance evaluation in a large VA medical and surgical hospital were presented. The competence of head nurses in the use of 14 interviewing roles was evaluated by a proximal observer procedure. Each psychologist observer sat in the room with each pair of nurses. Participants were 23 head nurses, 66 staff nurses, and 34 psychology trainees. The three roles most competently used were beingsupporting, friendly discussion, and not beingrejecting. These probably require least training and may tend to be emphasized in the presence of an observer. The three roles handled least adequately werereflecting feelings, asking for elaboration, andinformation gathering, perhaps because they are dependent upon considerable study of psychodynamics as well as supervised training in interviewing. Apparently the pattern of role effectiveness demonstrated by head nurses does not lead to optimal participation of staff nurses in work planning, goal setting, and evaluation of progress.Suggestions were made for further systematic research and training in appraisal interviewing. Recommendations were offered regarding the types of interaction between superior and subordinate most likely to improve performance.