One approach to increasing our understanding of the rating process is to examine behavioral components of decision-making. Although observable rater behavior during appraisal is still removed from the actual contents of internal processing, these behavioral indices may provide important clues toward identifying determinants of rating success. To measure rater behavior during appraisal a methodology called Instantaneous Report of Judgments (IRJ) was developed. Rating behaviors which are believed to reflect important dimensions of rating ability were examined: (1) amount of information utilized; (2) sensitivity to differences between ratees; (3) sensitivity to ratee strengths and weaknesses; and (4) observational style. Several studies were conducted using the IRJ. The first set consisted of basic descriptive studies of rater behavior during the rating process with the goal of identifying stable components of rating style. The second set involved construct validation of the IRJ procedure and rating data. Analyses of results from these studies showed that IRJ can provide reliable and valid data and that these behavioral indices shed some light on the underlying mechanisms of accuracy. (Author/WAS)