Interviewer use of positive and negative self-disclosure and interviewer-subject sex pairing.

Investigated the effect of interviewer use of positive or negative self-disclosure and interviewer-S sex pairing on Ss' perceptions of the interviewer and of their own behavior. 36 male and 36 female undergraduates served as Ss; 3 male and 3 female doctoral students served as interviewers. Results indicate that (a) interviewers who disclosed negative information about themselves were perceived as significantly more empathic, warm, and credible than interviewers who disclosed positive information about themselves; (b) Ss interviewed by a negatively disclosing interviewer perceived that they procrastinated significantly less after the interview than before, while the opposite was true for subjects in the positive disclosure condition; (c) Ss in both disclosure conditions were significantly more confident of their procrastination estimates after the interview; and (d) none of the effects due to interviewer-S sex pairing reached significance. The need for further studies investigating interviewer self-disclosure as both a means of generating a facilitative atmosphere and a counseling intervention to effect perceived or behavioral client change is noted. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of client perceived need and counselor role on clients' behaviors.

Employed a multifactor 2 (high and low need) by 2 (expert and inexpert role) by 2 (interviewers) fixed effects design to evaluate the effects of S perceived need and interviewer role on an S's opinions and behaviors. 90 female undergraduates attended a 20-min counseling analog interview in which they discussed their problem-solving skills. During this time the interviewer attempted to alter Ss' ratings of their problem-solving skills as well as 2 extrainterview behaviors. Following the interview, Ss rated the interviewer on a counselor rating form, responded to 2 problem-solving inventories, and were given the opportunity to engage in 2 self-help activities outside of the interview. The results indicate that the roles were perceived as intended and resulted in the intended opinion changes. Perceived interviewer expertness did influence Ss to engage in certain self-help activities, but the scope of those behaviors was limited. Contrary to earlier postulations, differential S need did not affect interviewer's ability to influence Ss' opinions or behaviors. Additional research is needed to test the theoretical formula regarding counselor power, as well as to explore the range of effects of perceived counselor expertness. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived interviewer expertness and attractiveness: Effects of interviewer behavior and attire and interview setting.

80 undergraduate students had a brief interview with 1 of 2 female interviewers in 1 of 8 conditions defined by interviewer role (expert or attractive), interviewer attire (professional or casual), and interview setting (professional or casual). Following the interview, students rated the interviewers on a counselor rating form. Data indicate that only counselor role behavior significantly affected Ss' perceptions of interviewer attractiveness, while perceptions of expertness seemed to have been affected jointly by role and attire. Within-cell comparisons revealed that for nearly all Ss, the relative magnitude of expertness as compared to attractiveness ratings was determined by interviewer behavior. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceiver self-presentational goals as moderators of expectancy influences: Ingratiation and the disconfirmation of negative expectancies.

Self-fulfilling prophecy processes enable people to confirm their negative expectancies for others. The perceiver goal of ingratiation was hypothesized to alter this behavioral dynamic and thus lead perceivers to disconfirm their negative expectancies. In an interview setting, interviewer Ss' expectancies and interaction goals were manipulated. As anticipated, "no goal" interviewers were relatively cold and challenging toward their negative-expectancy applicants; as a result, these applicants performed somewhat less favorably, consistent with interviewer expectancies. In contrast, "liking goal" interviewers were relatively warm and unthreatening toward their negative-expectancy applicants; as a result, these applicants performed favorably, disconfirming interviewer expectancies. These data support a framework in which perceiver self-presentation goals are conceptualized to moderate the expectancy-confirmation process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A standardized interviewing technique for evaluating postgraduate training applicants

In an effort to streamline the personal interview and to reduce the influence of subjectivity inpreparation of ranking lists for postgraduate year-one applicants, a standardized interview was constructed for use in evaluating condidates for admission to a training program in internal medicine. The interview was conducted in a uniformly structured manner by 14 interviewers of 260 applicants. Each applicant received an interview score which correlated well with the final decision of the Intern Selection Committee. For each interviewer various measures of performance were obtained which allowed a classification into "hard" versus "easy" interviewer and indicated the comparability of each interview's evaluations with the final decisions. Thus, the standardized interview resulted in quantifiable data in the form of uniform evaluations of applicants and interviewers.     

A and B undergraduate interviews of schizophrenic and neurotic inpatients: A test of the interaction hypothesis.

To clarify the personological basis of the differential compatability of A and B therapists with schizophrenic and neurotic patients, A and B (determined by the Personality Research Form and the A-B Scale) undergraduate volunteers (20 males, 20 females) conducted 20-min interviews with male state hospital inpatients (40 schizophrenics, 40 neurotics) in a 2 (interviewer A–B status) by 2 (interviewer sex) by 2 (patient type) factorial design. As expected from studies of the personality correlates of A–B status, many more B than A interviewers "looked forward" to conducting the interviews. Once in the interview situation, however, A-type interviewers elicited better self-disclosure from schizophrenic patients than did Bs, whereas the latter outperformed As with neurotic patients. Results are discussed in terms of a personological formulation that considers interviewer effectiveness to be a joint function of interviewer personality characteristics and the situational context. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Counselor power base, influence attempt, and behavior change in counseling.

Gave a 30-min individual interview to 48 college males, all of whom described themselves as "procrastinators." The interview explored current and historical difficulties stemming from Ss' procrastination, and ended with an interviewer attempt to influence Ss to take some specific action on the procrastination issue of greatest current concern. 8 experimental conditions were defined by (a) the 2 interviews, (b) "expert" or "referent" roles, and (c) delivery of influence attempt in a manner congruent with the "expert" or "referent" power base. Results show that (a) Ss perceived interviewers as intended, (b) Ss were induced to perform important behaviors outside the interview situation, (c) the expert and referent power bases were not differentially effective in inducing S compliance, and (d) the frequency of differential conformity in the power-congruent vs power-incongruent conditions approached statistical significance. (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of uniform and religious status on interviewees.

Assessed the effects of uniform and religious status of interviewers on male and female Catholic and non-Catholic interviewees. 128 16–21 yr old Ss had interviews with a nun dressed either in lay clothing or a habit or with a non-nun dressed either in lay clothing or a habit. The design was a 4?×?2?×?2 factorial. The main effects were the 4 interviewer combinations (Religious Status?×?Dress), sex of interviewee, and religious preference of interviewee. The dependent variables were length of interview and scores on an attitude measure, an experience scale, and an interviewer rating scale. ANOVAs revealed significant main effect differences in (a) length of interview (interviewees spent more time speaking to nuns dressed in a habit) and (b) interviewee attitude (female interviewees responded more conservatively than males, Catholics responded more conservatively than non-Catholics, and all Ss responded more conservatively to nuns than non-nuns). (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability of eye contact and physical distance across a series of structured interviews.

The same interviewer or 3 different interviewers met with 18 male and 18 female undergraduates once/wk for 3 wk. Eye contact and physical distance for each interview and interview condition were examined. The rs for both nonverbal measures were very high between interviews and for same and different interviewers. Both nonverbal measures were also relatively independent. Results provide support for the statement that eye contact and physical distance are stable enough to characterize individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Meanings of counselor nonverbal gestures: Fixed or interpretive?

Determined the extent to which perceptions of counselors' nonverbal gestures may be influenced by subjective factors on the part of the perceivers. 24 college freshmen met individually with an interviewer for 15 min each. Ss' global impressions of the interviewer were manipulated during the interviews to produce impressions either of empathy or of preoccupation. Eight standardized nonverbal gestures—4 empathic and 4 preoccupied—were embedded in each interview. A videotape-assisted recall procedure was used to obtain Ss' ratings of the interviewer's behavior at the times of occurrence of each of the 8 cues. Results indicate that the overwhelming determinants of Ss' impressions of the interviewer at the times the embedded cues were emitted were the Ss' global impressions. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of race on interview ratings in a situational panel interview.

This study investigated the effects of interviewer race, candidate race, and racial composition of interview panels on interview ratings. Data were collected on 153 police officers applying for promotion. Results confirmed a same-race rating effect (i.e., candidates racially similar to interviewers received higher ratings) for Black and White interviewers on racially balanced panels. A majority-race rating effect (i.e., candidates racially similar to the majority race of panel interviewers received higher ratings) existed for Black and White interviewers on primarily White panels. Rating patterns of Black and White interviewers on primarily Black panels also suggested a majority-race rating effect. Racial composition of selection interview panels in combination with interviewer and candidate race were proposed as variables affecting candidates' ratings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interviewer disclosure modeling, information revealed, and interviewee verbal behavior.

Investigated the effectiveness of the interviewer as a model of and recipient for interviewee self-disclosure when modeled content revealed favorable or unfavorable personal information. Of 24 undergraduate males who served as Ss, 8 were in a control condition and received only minimal interview structuring. During a 30-min interview, Ss talked about their relationship with 4 target persons. Contrary to a "model status loss" hypothesis suggested by previous research, the disclosure of unfavorable information did not decrease the effectiveness of the interviewer's interventions. Although Ss' perceptions of their disclosing interviewer were in the expected direction on 9 of 10 interpersonal rating dimensions, between-group differences did not reach significance. Ss talked longer and achieved higher levels of self-exploration in both modeling conditions than in the no-model control situation. Frequency and patterning of Ss' positive and negative self-references also were related to treatment conditions. Implications for psychotherapy interventions and continued interview behavior research are discussed. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Employment psychology: The interview.

Reviews the book "Employment psychology: The interview" by Roger M. Bellows and M. Frances Estep (see record 1955-01632-000). This text was "written for professional interviewers and for students of applied psychology who desire to become acquainted with the uses and limitations of the interview in selection of personnel." At the outset, the authors list requirements of self-training aimed at helping the interviewer to become more proficient. The emphasis then throughout the text is that the selection interview using the so-called talking methods alone lacks validity and utility. More objective selection material must be used in conjunction with the interview if selection is the goal. The reviewer would have liked to see discussed such related topics as occupational information and attitudes, age differences in job values, and pertinent information from the counseling field pertaining to the degree of leads various interviewers use. The presentation would have been more stimulating and complete, but it is well worth reading regardless. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bales' interaction process analysis of personnel selection interviews.

What are the sources of interview unreliability? This is the 2nd of a series of 3 studies of the interview. 276 interviews were used. "Samples of interview conversation (personnel selection interviews) were analyzed according to Bales' interaction process analysis. Scores obtained were correlated with decisions made by interviewers about whether applicants were recommended for acceptance or rejection… . specific interaction score variance accounts for interviewer error to a significant degree." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do noncontingent interview mm-hmms facilitate interviewee productivity?

Two studies investigated the hypothesis that noncontingent interviewer "mmhmms" facilitate interviewee verbal productivity. In Study 1, 1 male interviewer interviewed 48 female undergraduates. In Study 2, 3 male interviewers interviewed 24 male undergraduates, and 3 female interviewers interviewed 24 female undergraduates. Within- and between-S comparisons did not support the hypothesis, although interviewees' ratings indicated that the mm-hmms were perceived as the social reinforcers they were intended to be. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consulting the application form prior to the interview: An essential step in the selection process.

Conducted a field experiment to determine whether consulting the application form prior to an employment interview delays the formation of early impressions and allows more information to be considered before an initial decision is made by the interviewer. 28 experienced recruiters interviewed a role-playing applicant for a hypothetical job opening. Half of these interviewers were provided with application forms prior to the interview, and half were not. Each interview was terminated at the initial decision point, and measures (a 20-item questionnaire and an accept–reject scale) were administered to determine both the quantity and quality of information the interviewers possessed at that point. Results suggest that preventing the interviewer from consulting the application form prior to the interview has no effect on initial decision times, nor does it reduce the interviewer's confidence in that decision. Furthermore, when the initial decision is made, it is based on less complete information about the applicant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trustworthiness and influence: A reexamination in an extended counseling analogue.

An extended counseling analog interview study was designed to evaluate the effects of counselor trustworthiness on counselor influence in an interview setting. 36 college males rated their achievement motivation (a) 1 wk before, (b) immediately following, and (c) 1 wk after the 2nd of 2 20-min individual interviews in which they explored their achievement motivation. Both interviews ended with an attempt by an interviewer to influence their achievement-motivation ratings. Four conditions were defined by (1) 2 male interviewers and (2) trustworthy and untrustworthy interviewer role performance. Results indicate that the role manipulation was successful. These role discriminations continued to persist, as measured by the 2nd role ratings taken 1 wk after the original ratings. Results indicate that interviewer trustworthiness had no immediate effect on interviewer influence but did exert a significant influence at the 1-wk follow-up testing. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of adjustment and physical attractiveness on the employability of schizophrenic women.

Compared manifest adjustment and physical attractiveness for their effects on hirability. Employment interviewers assessed 21 18–54 yr old female psychiatric patients who had been videotaped taking part in a simulated job interview. Results indicate that (a) 43% of the interviewees were considered employable by at least 3 of 4 interviewers, although all interviewees were hospitalized with diagnoses of psychosis at the time. (b) Manifest adjustment (i.e., during the interview) related strongly to Ss' hirability. (c) Variables that had nonsignificant correlations with hirability included physical attractiveness (whether judged from videotapes or still photos) and demographic indexes such as number of previous hospitalizations and age at 1st hospitalization. The significant correlation between manifest adjustment and employability corroborates results of earlier studies that used "normal" confederates (stooges) rather than actual mental patients. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of The Employment Interview: A Social Judgment Process.

Reviews the book, The Employment Interview: A Social Judgment Process by Edward C. Webster (1982). Webster himself clearly states that it is not a manual for training new interviewers. Neither would it structure a training programme to improve current levels of interviewer performance, although it contains many useful suggestions for such a program. It is for students of the interview. The term students is used broadly here. Structurally, following the introduction, Chapter 2 reviews the key McGill findings on decision-making in the employment interview. Chapter 3 introduces three models of interview research. Chapter 4 reviews findings on interviewer expectancy effects. Chapter 5 reviews related research on implicit personality and impression formation. Chapter 6 reviews external influences, including the physical environment, contrast effects, the pressure to employ, situational role constraints, and knowledge of job requirements. Chapter 7 is a review of documented failures to train interviewers to make more accurate interview decisions. Chapter 8 reviews the findings on structure in the interview. The final chapter, the interviewer-applicant relationship, shines some well-directed light on the applicant side of the picture. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Matched versus unmatched primary representational systems and their relationship to perceived trustworthiness in a counseling analogue.

Examined R. Bandler and J. Grinder's (1976) statement that trust in a relationship will be enhanced if the counselor matches the client's primary representational system (PRS). The PRS concept was based on the assumption that people organize their experiences of the world in internal representational systems or "maps," which are in turn organized by sensory systems—visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. A further assumption of the model was that people tend to favor one sensory system and that the favored system becomes the PRS. In the present study, an interview was structured with 24 right-handed female undergraduates in which the interviewers either matched or did not match their predicates to the PRS of the Ss. Levels of perceived trustworthiness were assessed by the Counselor Rating Form—Trustworthiness scale. Results show that when interviews matched predicates to S's PRSs as determined through eye-movement observations, levels of perceived trustworthiness were higher. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)