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Productivity and stress recollection inaccuracy: Anchoring effects in work-from-home evaluation

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  • Martijn Stroom

Abstract

Self-reported productivity and satisfaction have become central metrics in evaluating work-from-home (WFH) policies, yet their reliability remains largely unexamined. Despite growing scrutiny of WFH efficacy, assessments continue to rely heavily on subjective evaluations, creating a persistent gap between perceived and objective productivity measures within the working-from-home literature. This study investigates whether retrospective self-reports of productivity during WFH are systematically biased due to recollection inaccuracy, particularly through anchoring biases in memory recall. A two-wave survey data sample consisting of 772 home-workers during the 2020 shift to the home office examines recollection accuracy as well as the underlying mechanism. Using a five-factor productivity scale, within-subject analyses explore consistency within and between multiple waves and evaluate the predictive value of the targeted score compared to the current (inaccurate) score. The signed rank test shows that recollection scores consistently underestimate past scores (one factor: p

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  • Martijn Stroom, 2025. "Productivity and stress recollection inaccuracy: Anchoring effects in work-from-home evaluation," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(4), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0320959
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320959
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